Tim Cook Reaches Five Years as Apple CEO, Unlocks Over $100 Million in Bonuses

[Dave245]

Except they have not. 2011 - 2016 is not exponential.

iPhones sales were massive for the 6 and 6 Plus, last years 6s once again broke Apples own records, i'd say Apple are doing well. Innovation isn't about constantly churning out new categories. I'd say Apple are still innovative and still make great products, customer satisfaction is very high.

 

[dawson865]

The number one danger with cooks apple is that he is repeating the past. The last time Jobs was not at apple product variants exploded as the water slowly began leaking into scullys ship. The same thing is happening again. Cook does not have any clear product vision so he just keeps creating more and more variations on the existing products. But at least apples pointing in the right direction (stock market price), right?

 

[maflynn]

And he's done a great job, despite what people have to say around these parts. Glad he's on board.

I don't think anyone is going to say he's done a bad job managing what Apple has to offer. His strength lies in the business aspect. The questions arise about his ability to lead others to innovate.

Also, he's filling some huge shoes, and replacing a legend, as he replaced Jobs, means he'll be unfairly compared to S. Jobs.

 

[Juicy Box]

Cook has today unlocked previously awarded stock bonuses currently worth over $100 million.

A dollar for every customer lost.

But, but, but......... There are great new products coming down the pipeline!

 

[DCIFRTHS]

Congrats on your $100 million payday, Tim. You've done a decent job of maintaining the status quo at Apple, rehashing many existing designs to keep the machine churning. (Well, there was that watch.) However, you've yet to deliver that truly new, magical and inspirational product that people can't live without. Like Steve was often able to do. What Apple consumers and investors have been looking forward to as well. "New products in the pipeline..." We're patiently waiting.

All those words, but not one about his donations to charity.

In fact, none of the posts, except the OP, have mentioned his donations.

 

[bdavis89]

That's crazy. With this bonus alone, they could give out a ~$850 bonus to every single global Apple employee, not to mention the bonuses the other executives are no doubt accumulating. Not saying they shouldn't get paid and rewarded, but this crap is why the income inequality gap is getting larger and larger. They're already getting paid hand over fist, they could throw a bone to the employees making it happen. I'm sure the USA workers would appreciate a couple extra grand in their pockets.

Source of # of employees:
http://fortune.com/2016/02/08/apple-amazon-hiring-spree/

 

[Thunderhawks]

Imagine where iOS and iPhone\iPad and Mac would be today if his incentive would have been based on marketshare instead of tenure. Longevity pay of any kind is the worst incentive. All it does is encourage someone to just do the bare minimum to keep their job.

Imagine that people like him, film stars, sports figures etc. may just do what they do because they like what they do, regardless of the money.

 

[smacrumon]

Send some bonuses in the direction of the offshore workers manufacturing all Apple products.

 

[Boatboy24]

I celebrated 5 years at my company in May. My picture was shown at an all hands meeting that I was absent for. That was it. just saying that maybe don't get too optimistic.

I struck it rich when I hit 5 years in March. I got a digital picture frame and a certificate.

 

[applesith]

The basic stay basic and the thirsty get thirstier.

Good job, Tim! Get those dollar bills!

 

[drumcat]

Cook is going to be great or terrible based on the metrics you apply. It's such a vast entity, you can have all range of opinions, and be able to defend them.

I'll say this. The hardware is behind. They know that. Intel got behind, and I think you're going to see that never happen again. Tim Cook's time at the top has had him not utterly tank the business Steve rebuilt. As someone following a cult icon, that's actually better than expected. I really truly believe his tenure is going to be defined by the next six months. I have the money to buy a new machine. Will I want to? Millions of people are about to make a purchase decision on the iPhone 7, missing a 3.5mm jack. Will they balk at it?

In the end, the "lead" has been ceded to Samsung and Huawei on hardware, but not on software. That "few years ahead of the competition" is a memory now. Computers are not always a spec war, but they do have to be compelling. And for everyone who got on that "iPhone every year" nonsense, good luck with all those headphone dongles.

Ultimately, 2017 is either going to be one of Apple's finer years, or the Grace Period is going to be nearly over. I know I removed 2/3 of my exposure to AAPL ahead of this iPhone launch... so, so many good and bad things going on with Apple today, no polar opinions seem appropriate. Just remember, inspiration gets pushed into the pipeline years before the magic is public. As such, this is Tim's time now. Let's see how 2016 finishes.

 

[ke-iron]

Amazing! He unlocks bonuses, like levels in a game.

 

[pppx3]

We all now what Steve did for Apple.. lots of great new products, we all hope Tim will deliver the same..
He won't. Tim is the bridge between 2 generations.
He is growing apple, setting it all up for the new guy, who will be more innovative again.
Steve-----Tim-----???

I've often thought that this is what the future holds. Steve started the revolution, Tim is establishing the institution and the next guy will bring about things that will (hopefully) be "insanely great" but when it happens, it will have the distribution and support network to make it stable and be profitable. (What the Mac did not have when it was new)
As for who is going to make that happen? Johnny is too pretentious, too monotonic. I think Apple needs another iconic, young, switched on leader... a salesperson but one that does not just sell toys, one that sells all the individual Apple products as an "environment" - a holistic and complete solution for all facets of life.

 

[Thunderhawks]

All those words, but not one about his donations to charity.

Classical uninformed jab.
Not everybody broadcasts what they do for charity, nor would YOU have the right to decide what anybody does with their money.

With todays social media all over everything any info would be criticized anyway.

Oh, you donate to the Leukemia foundation, you mean heart and lung is not worth it.?Why not Newington Children hospital, MADD or blah blah blah.

For starters, please post how much money you make and what you donate to whom and I'll let you know how you are supposed to split that up.

 

[2457248]

Amazing! He unlocks bonuses, like levels in a game.

it's like freemium, but reversed.

 

[I7guy]

Imagine where iOS and iPhone\iPad and Mac would be today if his incentive would have been based on marketshare instead of tenure. Longevity pay of any kind is the worst incentive. All it does is encourage someone to just do the bare minimum to keep their job.

Right there was nothing financial indicated in the referenced article. And marketshare as we all know is the best measure of success. Right?

Mac holds less marketshare than ever in history.
iOS sinks to record low marketshare.
iPhone now makes up less marketshare than ever.
iPhone 7 looks like iPhone 6S, and iPhone 6S looks like iPhone 6.
MacBook Pro Line goes nearly 5 years and still no update.
iPad sales lagging industry.

Not a resume I'd want... sure Apple is profitable... but has been stagnant for a while in product. And the reason the company is successful is the coat-tails they're still riding from past successes.

Innovation is the name of the game, and without it, it's a boring and unsuccessful path when it comes to technology.

My kids love their macbooks and iphone comment has already been covered. And why do you care about IOS marketshare, where the competition is selling 20 phones and making no profit\ and google is the only one making out on android marketshare.

 

[Marshall73]

Imagine where iOS and iPhone\iPad and Mac would be today if his incentive would have been based on marketshare instead of tenure. Longevity pay of any kind is the worst incentive. All it does is encourage someone to just do the bare minimum to keep their job.

He is paid in Apple stock, so if he tanks the company he gets paid less.

 

[djcerla]

Cue the (stealthily homophobic) Cook haters.

 

[joueboy]

They got to sell more lightning cables and iPhone 6 that breaks easily and more more bands to pay him that much money. He deserves it he knows how to make Apple profitable more than ever.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

 

[9081094]

Mac holds less marketshare than ever in history.
iOS sinks to record low marketshare.
iPhone now makes up less marketshare than ever.
iPhone 7 looks like iPhone 6S, and iPhone 6S looks like iPhone 6.
MacBook Pro Line goes nearly 5 years and still no update.
iPad sales lagging industry.

Not a resume I'd want... sure Apple is profitable... but has been stagnant for a while in product. And the reason the company is successful is the coat-tails they're still riding from past successes.

Innovation is the name of the game, and without it, it's a boring and unsuccessful path when it comes to technology.

Totally agree with you although I admire tim's values about equality and environment, he shouldn't get involved in politics.
For the last 1,5 year I got really disappointed by the company Apple for lagging on all fronts and getting more focused on getting money from customers then delivering the best.
Samsung is 1,5 years ahead in screen technology and by the time iPhone 8 pro comes out with a curved display at a more then premium price, Samsung will deliver all their midrange phones with the edge display and make their high range a foldable in April 2017. Samsung is far ahead in technology of Apple and is focusing on software too. I think Apple has lost the phone race already and 2017 will show it for real.

 

[Sunny1990]

This guy needs a break now.Nothing revolutionary or innovative he is doing in the business just same things over and over

 

[tardegrade]

Those news deserve a special edition watchband, no?

MacRumors Forum posting rules.
Rule #1. When you have nothing to say, post a worn out jibe about watchbands and collect up votes.

 

[thekeyring]

And now the real decline of Apple begins.

-SC

Finally, after 20 years of people predicting it, now it's going to happen!


[doublepost=1472040198][/doublepost]

All the news about Apple nowadays is about how much money they make. It's empty beyond that. They have basically become an iBank.

That's because MacRumours doesn't report things like "The Apple Watch could soon predict seizures, thanks to Johns Hopkins University"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-seizures-thanks-to-johns-hopkins-university/

It uses Apple Watch + ResearchKit (two things announced under Tim Cook) + third party.

 

[simonmet]

While I despair at the current state of the Mac line up, so much so I am considering purchasing a PC as my next work computer, I can't help but think TC is a very decent guy.
I would much rather have 10's of millions of $ being donated to worthy causes than a 10% faster CPU in my laptop.

You should. There is literally no reason to buy a Mac desktop right now. Get a mini/micro-ITX case with a new 14 nm Intel processor and GTX 1080, high efficiency PSU, fast RAM and SSD and you'll be laughing. Everything upgradeable, repairable and resale-able, not soldered down. Performance in spades. Even fast and quiet nowadays and your choice of display including high bit depth and high refresh rate-capable displays. Make it a Hackintosh even better.

My favourite is the Corsair Carbide Air 240. Highly open case and whisper quiet.