 |
|
|
|||||
Last week, the Financial Times reported that Apple CEO Tim Cook may step down next year. This news seemed to have little impact on Apples stock price, but it certainly sparked conversations among Apple fans and armchair tech pundits. Some people have long criticized Cook as a bean counter and ops guy, believing he was not the right person to helm the 21st centurys leading consumer technology company, especially one previously guided by a product visionary like Steve Jobs. Many of these same people are now hoping that Apples next CEO will be Apples current senior vice president of hardware engineering, John Ternus. They see Ternus as a product guy like Jobs. Or, probably more accurately, they see Ternus as a product guy unlike Cook. But I think that this does Cook a disservice. And for the good of the company, I hope whoever ends up taking the reins is as much like Cook as they are like Jobs. Because while Steve Jobs may have been a visionary, Tim Cook pulled off the impossible. Tim Cook, the product guy Let me first address the false idea that Cook isnt a product guy. Just look at the groundbreaking new productshardware, software, and servicesApple has released under Cooks leadership since 2011. In 2014, Apple released Apple Pay, which brought contactless mobile payments to the masses for the first time. A year later, in 2015, the company redefined the smartwatch with the Apple Watch. Also in 2015, Apple officially became a streaming services company, with the launch of Apple Music, giving the world its first competent alternative to Spotify. The launch of the AirPods in 2016 upended the headphone industry and changed the way we listen to audio. In 2017, the iPhone X eliminated the iPhones dated Home button in favor of an all-screen design and Face IDa consumer biometric authentication system that is still unmatched to this day. [Photo: Apple] From 2019 to 2020, Apple expanded its services footprint with the launch of Apple Card, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, and Apple News+. That same year, Apple took its biggest risk in decades by switching its Macs from Intel chips to Apple Silicona move that has reinvigorated Mac sales and enabled stunning new Mac designs. And most recently, in 2024, Cook swung for the fences with the Apple Vision Pro, a product that was personally important to him. So far, that product hasnt performed well commercially, but it has more innovation packed inside it than the iPod or iPhone did when Jobs shepherded those devices to the masses. It also exemplifies that Cook, like Jobs, is not afraid of trying new things. Sure, Cook isnt an engineer, and he didnt personally invent these products. But Jobs didnt hunch over a workbench with a soldering iron to assemble the first prototype of an MP3 player with a clickwheel, or a phone with a touchscreen. Instead, both men oversaw the organizationand, more importantly, trusted its visionary engineers and designersin order to bring these gadgets, which so many of us couldnt imagine living without today, to market. At the time of Jobs passing, Apple had only four main products: the Mac, the iPod, the iPad, and the iPhone. Under Cooks leadership, Apple has added the AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad Pro, and Apple Vision Pro to that lineup, while constantly improving the iPhone and Mac experience in significant ways. Im not sure how a CEO who shepherded all that cant be considered a product guy. Cook had the hardest act in business history But shepherding so many beloved products during his time as CEO isnt why I say Tim Cook has done the impossible. I say this precisely because he had to undertake the hardest act in business history: following in the footsteps of Steve Jobs. And Cook succeeded wildly. It would have been easy to fumble the reins at Apple after Jobs’ passing, especially considering that for many people, including Apples employees, Jobs was Apple. Its not difficult to imagine that morale was at an all-time low and uncertainty at an all-time high within the company after Jobs’ untimely death. There are plenty of leaders who would have been unable to pull together an organization of Apples size and successfully steer it down the path of not just continuing, but outpacing Jobs legacy. Its easy to imagine that if Jobs could strap the latest Apple Watch to his wrist, put the latest AirPods in his ears, and look through the display of the Apple Vision Pro, he would say Wow! and be proud that the company he built is still creating industry-defining products. Of course, if you need more proof of Cooks success in steering Apple, just look at the companys financials. In 2010, Apple had an annual revenue of around $65 billion. By the end of fiscal 2025, the figure exceeded $416 billion. And Apple’s stock price has reflected the company’s growth under Cook. Apple recently reached a valuation of $4 trillion. It was valued at just around $350 billion when Jobs passed. [Photo: Apple] This success is all the more astonishing considering that Cook has faced challenges Jobs likely never even would have conceived. Technology role in society, government, and politics has changed significantly over the past decade, and todays tech giant CEOs need to be not only chiefs of their companies but also quasi-diplomats as they interact more regularly with governments and their leaders. The geopolitical changes of the last decade have necessitated this, and its not something everyone could pull offperhaps including Jobs, who was known for his anger and arrogance. But over the last decade, Cook has carefully threaded the needle in dealing with increasingly challenging individuals and landscapes. As Teslas recent $1 trillion pay package for Elon Musk shows, many people believe that there are companies with futures inextricably linked to their CEOs’ continued involvement. Many people thought that about Apple in the early 2000s, too. Unfortunately, Apple didnt get the choice to keep Jobs around. It needed to find a replacement. Fortunately for the company, that replacement was Tim Cook. Now comes the second hardest act in business history As successful as Cook’s reign at Apple has been, he wont be leading the company forever. And, if the FTs report is correct, Cook could step down in 2026. Ive cautioned before that it’s dangerous to deify tech CEOsand that goes for Cook, as well. Like Jobs, Cook has made choices that havent always panned out well for Apple. But Cook has proved he can steer the company through its most tumultuous timesand take Apple farther than it’s ever gone before. Those are big shoes to fill. Whether or not John Ternus will indeed be the one stepping into them is uncertain. The company has other leadership options available. Yet one thing is certain: whoever ultimately becomes Apples new CEO will have to pull off the second hardest act in business history: following in Tim Cooks footsteps.
Category:
E-Commerce
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a once-loyal supporter of President Donald Trump who has become a critic, said Friday she is resigning from Congress in January. Greene, in a more than 10-minute video posted online, explained her decision and said shes always been despised in Washington, D.C., and just never fit in. Greenes resignation followed a public fallout with Trump in recent months, as the congresswoman criticized him for his stance on files related to Jeffrey Epstein, along with foreign policy and healthcare. My message to Georgias 14th district and America.Thank you. pic.twitter.com/tSoHCeAjn1— Marjorie Taylor Greene (@mtgreenee) November 22, 2025 Trump branded her a traitor and wacky and said he would endorse a challenger against her when she ran for reelection next year. She said her last day would be January 5, 2026. The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Friday night. Greene had been closely tied to the Republican president since she launched her political career in 2020. In her video, she underscored her longtime loyalty to Trump except on a few issues, and said it was unfair and wrong that he attacked her for disagreeing. Loyalty should be a two-way street and we should be able to vote our conscience and represent our districts interest, because our job title is literally representative, she said. Greene swept to office at the forefront of Trump’s Make America Great Again movement and swiftly became a lightning rod on Capitol Hill for her often beyond-mainstream views. As she embraced the QAnon conspiracy theory and appeared with white supremacists, Greene was opposed by party leaders but welcomed by Trump. He called her a real WINNER! Yet over time she proved a deft legislator, having aligned herself with then-GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, who would go on to become House speaker. She was a trusted voice on the right flank, until McCarthy was ousted in 2023. While there has been an onslaught of lawmakers from both parties heading for the exits ahead of next falls midterm elections, as the House struggles through an often chaotic session, Greene’s announced retirement will ripple throughout the ranksand raise questions about her next moves. By Michelle L. Price and Lisa Mascaro
Category:
E-Commerce
The gap between the release of the movie musicals Wicked: Part I and Wicked: For Good feels like the longest intermission ever. Eager fans had to wait a year before seeing the storys conclusion, which premieres November 21. The creative team behind Wicked claims to have tried to condense the plot down to just one film, but an overabundance of material led to the decision to split it into two. Financial considerations also likely came into play as two films will make more money than one. As fans celebrate Wicked: For Goods release week, let’s get you up to speed on everything you need to know, including projected box-office figures. Whos in the movie? Since Part I and For Good were shot back-to-back, many actors are reprising their roles. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande lead the way as former besties Elphaba and Glinda. Sexiest Man Alive Jonathan Bailey smolders as Prince Fiyero. Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Marissa Bode, and Ethan Slater all return as the Wizard, Madame Morrible, Nessarose, and Boq, respectively. There are also some new faces in the sequels cast. Young Glinda is played by 8-year-old Scarlett Spears. Colman Domingo lends his voice to the Cowardly Lion. And Bethany Weaver rocks the iconic blue gingham dress as Dorothy. Are there new songs? Expanding the musical into two movies gave composer Stephen Schwartz the opportunity to write new music. Elphaba (Erivo) and Glinda (Grande) each have solos that were not featured in the original stage production. Early on in the film, Erivo belts out No Place Like Home.” Much later on, Grandes vocal chops are on full display in “The Girl in the Bubble. Both songs serve to flesh out the characters story arcs. Several other songs, such as “Wonderful,” have been expanded. Do you need to see the original Wicked? The blunt answer is yes. Wicked: Part I is the first half of the stage musical. It would be hard to follow if you have never seen the beginning of the story. Plus, the first installment received 10 Academy Award nominations and two Oscar trophiesfor Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. (Director Jon M. Chu was notably snubbed in the Best Director category.) If you need to get up to speed quickly, YouTube has plenty of recaps. What are critics saying? While award season is not yet upon us, critics have given the film mixed reviews leaning toward the positive. As of this writing, the film had a Tomatometer score of 72% and a Popcornmeter score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. Vultures Bilge Ebiri liked the second film better than the first. He argued that the conclusion was more somber, more focused, more human than the first film. And it brings the Wicked cycle to a surprisingly satisfying conclusion, at least for now. The BBCs Caryn James agreed wholeheartedly. This latest installment is more captivating than the last and enjoyable to watch throughout. David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter was particularly moved by Grandes performance of the new song. Grande floods it with so much feeling that it humanizes and enriches the character and, by extension, the whole movie, he mused. Not everyone was so enthusiastic. William Bibbiani from TheWrap called it quite bad because of the plot holes failing to explain its Wizard of Oz origins. The APs Jake Coyle said the film just doesnt delight. Even though both Bibbiani and Coyle did not enjoy the film as a whole, they agreed that the actors gave amazing performances. What are the box-office predictions? Expectations are high for Wicked: For Good. The first film grossed more than $758 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. Its debut weekend alone brought in more than $112 million and set the record for the best opening ever for a movie based on a Broadway musical. Deadline predicts that the global opening weekend for Wicked: For Good will exceed its predecessor and bring in around $200 million. Comcast-owned Universal Pictures, which is releasing the film, is projecting a more conservative estimate of $125 million, Variety reports, adding that the movies budget was $150 million. The long interlude has allowed audiences to build up anticipation for the sequel. Time will tell whether they follow the yellow brick road back to movie theaters this holiday season.
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||