Tim Cook’s legacy isn’t just phones, it’s politics

As much as any Apple product released during his time as CEO, Tim Cook’s tenure will be remembered for its ruthlessly efficient tight-rope walk between an autocrat in China and a would-be autocrat in the US.

During his 15 years as CEO, Cook steered Apple through relations with both Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, including escalating conflicts between the two. As Apple’s enmeshment in China raised serious questions about reports of forced labor and censorship, Cook managed to appease Xi while maneuvering around political blowback in the US. And when Trump launched a trade war against China, Cook managed to soften the blow through his White House diplomacy. Cook’s ability to thread the needle between two superpowers helped expand Apple into a multi-trillion-dollar company, while downplaying concerns about civil rights, working conditions, and other serious issues.

Cook was the executive who had helped solidify Apple’s manufacturing...

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