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Flattery Paid Off for Apple When Cook Went to the White House

The CEO’s approach to politics helped the company navigate tariffs and supply chain disruptions.

Apple CEO Tim Cook.Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

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By Austin Carr

April 21, 2026 at 6:01 PM UTC

Apple on Monday announced its leadership transition plan, with longtime CEO Tim Cook soon handing the reins to John Ternus. Bloomberg Businessweek tech features writer Austin Carr writes today about the role of politics in Cook’s legacy. You can read the whole story free here, and an excerpt below. Plus: TikTok makes Americans want Chinese EVs they can’t have, Japan’s super cheap Saizeriya chain holds prices for now, and Chobani’s CEO created a $20 billion company and he’s not slowing down.

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In a Truth Social post this morning, President Donald Trump recalled the first time Apple Inc.’s Tim Cook phoned him with a problem during his first term in office. Cook, then five years into his tenure as chief executive officer, was apparently facing a big corporate challenge that only Trump could resolve.