Apple CEO Tim Cook Donating $1 Million to Trump's Inaugural Fund

[bunce66]

Gross. 🤮 Hope that buys Apple a lot of favors.

Boo hoo

Some of the comments here are unfortunately emotional and not logical reactions.

This is a no-brainer decision on his part. As a chief executive officer who has a ***fiduciary duty*** to maximize shareholder value, it’s also the “right” decision. Morality and ethics isn’t really relevant, despite how you might feel.

Let’s be clear here. BILLIONS are spent on political campaigns, lobbying, etc. every single year, the majority of which comes from PACs to curry favor with politicians. And this doesn’t even count the money spent on soft influence, such as taking a legislator or someone on the Hill to a Nats game or a pricey dinner or on a trip.

This is kinda a non-story. Doesn’t matter whether you’re far left or far right. It’s just a different flavor of the same business-as-usual ice cream.

‘Murica.

Exactly. Apple's made huge donations to left-wing causes and nobody on the right flips out the way 99% of the people on here are doing. Just soooooo sure that the version of the story they heard on MSNBC is the complete whole truth.

 

[SpotOnT]

Exactly. Apple's made huge donations to left-wing causes and nobody on the right flips out the way 99% of the people on here are doing. Just soooooo sure that the version of the story they heard on MSNBC is the complete whole truth.

Apple didn’t donate to Trump’s inauguration fund…

 

[thatJohann]

And just like that I lost respect for Tim Cook. Shameful. All these rich people are nothing but suck-ups. They all suck.

 

[mysticmanix]

Another fine thread. So many assumptions by posters here. Tim Cook donated his money. He probably did during the last inauguration and will probably do for the next one. Big deal.

This confirms that macrumors is as dumb as reddit, user overlap is probably 99%

 

[ab2c4]

Just all about the upcoming tariffs. Kinda surprised it was just $1 million with how much is at stake for Apple and Cook and he is able to give much more than that.

 

[KPOM]

I'm not a huge fan of Tim, but this was a step above. People could say he did this to get on Trump's good side and $1m may fetch him a favor down the road, but it's still a million dollars of his own money. I think it's probably his way of saying, "I may not like you a lot, but you're the POTUS and I respect you, and we need to get along if we're going to improve our situation". That took some gumption and there will be some major backlash for the Trump haters.

Tim Cook is a billionaire. $1 million isn’t that much and it isn’t as if it is going to Trump personally. The inaugural festivities have long been financed privately. Trump is talking about imposing new tariffs on imports from China. Cook had a working relationship with Trump in his first term and surely wants the same this time around so he has an avenue to get relief for his company.

 

[KPOM]

Just all about the upcoming tariffs. Kinda surprised it was just $1 million with how much is at stake for Apple and Cook and he is able to give much more than that.

$1 million seems to be the standard donation among the very wealthy. I wonder if there is a legal limit.

 

[KPOM]

And the same man bankrupted what? 6 businesses.
How do you even bankrupt a casino?

So his business acumen isn’t exactly screaming brilliance here.

Have you ever flown American, United or Delta? All of them went bankrupt.

 

[gugy]

And just like that I lost respect for Tim Cook. Shameful. All these rich people are nothing but suck-ups. They all suck.

He doesn't care about you and me and any respect from the rest of us. All elites and corporations are after power and profits. They do not choose sides because they buy both parties. This is the main reason I laugh at people who think politicians care for the common folk. As George Carlin said, It's A BIG Club & You Ain't In It!

 

[jarman92]

Gee, interesting that none of the J6'ers or even Trump was ever charged with insurrection.

Maybe cuz it wasn't one?

Events aren’t typically defined by what crimes can be charged from them.

Though FWIW, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Trump engaged in insurrection, and some J6ers were charged with seditious conspiracy.

 

[dcingie]

The adults are back in charge and everyone’s straightening up. It’s gonna be so nice to have a president that doesn’t have to be shuttled off the stage by his handlers. I’m proud of Tim for trying to repair his relationship. PS when is the new Apple TV coming out??

 

[jarman92]

Have you ever flown American, United or Delta? All of them went bankrupt.

Very confused about what point you think you’re making here.

 

[laz232]

It's funny how this suddenly lays bear the moral corruption that is present in many democratic systems.
How is this different to Obama, Clinton(s) raking it in afterwards with speeches for sectors they helped during their reign (quid pro quo)?
For the record I respect Obama (not Trump or H Clinton who are both by all accounts terrible human beings)

Obama criticised for '$400,000 Wall Street speech'

The former US president previously admonished "fat cat bankers".

www.bbc.com

 

[Scottsoapbox]

Not all politics are created equal.

The magnitude and levels of donations recorded are much higher for dictators.

Please stop with the false equivalencies.

Stop with overwrought hyperbole. It's tiresome to the people in the middle that are not beholden to either party.

You know, the voters that decide which candidate is the lesser of two evils. Both choices were terrible again this election but the whole end of democracy thing was more insufferable than a narcissistic braggart for more people so I guess you can claim partial credit for the “dictator”.

 

[HiVolt]

Events aren’t typically defined by what crimes can be charged from them.

Though FWIW, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Trump engaged in insurrection, and some J6ers were charged with seditious conspiracy.

WTF does the Colorado Supreme Court have to do with anything that happened in DC?

A wacko state that tried to keep a candidate off the ballot. too much weed.

seditious conspiracy is not insurrection. so stop saying it.

A group of Free Palestine wackos stormed the capitol building too and disrupted proceedings. Are any of them rotting in jail? Doubt it.

 

[KPOM]

Very confused about what point you think you’re making here.

Bankruptcy exists for a reason. The process encourages risk taking, which overall benefits everyone. Without Chapter 11 we would not have an affordable airline system in the US.

 

[MacFan782040]

Politicians get bribes all the time. The Supreme Court called it "freedom of speech" in citizens united decision. So as much as I am politically against Trump, can you blame Tim Apple here?

 

[jarman92]

Bankruptcy exists for a reason. The process encourages risk taking, which overall benefits everyone. Without Chapter 11 we would not have an affordable airline system in the US.

Except it still means you failed in your business. Which is the whole point the first guy was making.

 

[jarman92]

Politicians get bribes all the time. The Supreme Court called it "freedom of speech" in citizens united decision. So as much as I am politically against Trump, can you blame Tim Apple here?

Actually the Supreme Court says bribes received after the fact are “gratuities” and not illegal. 😑

 

[Fred Zed]

All the tech bros trying to get in Uncle Trumps good books so that he can eliminate the competition for them and or assist in cheaper labor. Nice move and return on their investments. 👍🏽

 

[MacFan782040]

Actually the Supreme Court says bribes received after the fact are “gratuities” and not illegal. 😑

Yeah that too. You can do both. Basically bribery is legalized. And everyone knows kissing Trump's feet is the best way into his world.

 

[SpotOnT]

Have you ever flown American, United or Delta? All of them went bankrupt.

And what do airlines have to do with casinos?

 

[SpotOnT]

That was the whole point of the sham trials: to convince people he was guilty of crimes they had to desperately try to come up with.

An embarrassment to the land is pretenidng the dementia patient has even been in charge of anything the past four years when he doesn't even know where or when he is. And unlike an evidence-free accusation from 30 years ago, Biden is on video SA'ing a minor (she confirmed he had done it) among many other incidents. Of course the difference is one group doesn't get charged even when it's a slam-dunk case while the other, they will move mountains to find a way to charge and convict 'by any means necessary'.

Where is this video?

 

[SpotOnT]

In the US, and in Delaware (where many US corporations are incorporated) in particular, there is a fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interests of the shareholders. There are many court cases about failure to maximize shareholder value. In eBay Domestic Holdings, Inc. v. Newmark, 16 A.3d 1 (Del. Ch. 2010), eBay, a minority shareholder, sued Craigslist founders for failing to pursue opportunities for profit and platform monetization. Craigslist argued that they were trying maintain a community orientation. The court found that a for-profit corporation cannot justify failing to pursue profits solely for altruistic reasons unless the corporate charter explicitly allows it. The court specifically emphasized that for-profit corporations are expected to act with the purpose of generating returns for their shareholders.

Doesn’t apply here. Tim Cook is donating his own money. There is no law requiring employees to spend their own money to further the interests of the corporation they work for.

Also, wouldn’t Apple giving money to a ceremonial event be the very definition of lacking fiduciary responsibility? It would be Apple spending money solely for “altruistic” purposes, as no monetary gain can directly be attributed to the spending.

 

[coolkid93]

I have no doubt that the comment section will be orderly