Tim Cook is proof that even the most successful companies can and should be judged by more than just their bottom line.
— Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, in a short piece in Time Magazine about Apple CEO Cook, who Time chose to put on its annual list of 100 most influential people. Lewis, a civil rights leader, praised Cook for his support of LGBT rights. He also mentioned that Cook and Apple have expressed their commitment to renewable energy.
Tim has pushed Apple to unimaginable profitability — and greater social responsibility. He is setting a new standard for what business can do in the world, Lewis wrote.
Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs was iconic, and when Cook took over the company after Jobs s death, there were lots of doubters.
But as Apple s business reaches new heights, lately it seems like it s Cook s world and we just live in it. The inclusion on Time s list is just one of many accolades he has received recently.
In December, the Financial Times named him its person of the year. Cook, who is gay, has also been lauded for his support of gay rights; praised for speaking up for privacy during President Obama s cybersecurity summit; and gotten much props from Apple executive Angela Ahrendts, who calls him a man of peace. Oh, and did we mention Cook once offered to give Jobs a part of his liver, and that he plans to give away most of his wealth?
But not everybody loves Tim. Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina is a detractor, accusing Cook of hypocrisy over gay rights because Apple does business in countries that aren t exactly gay-friendly. (And some commenters who responded to our Michelle Quinn s post about whether Cook risks blowback over his gay-rights stance aren t big fans, either.)
Photo of Tim Cook from Getty Images