The Real Tim Cook
A new profile of Apple and Tim Cook’s empire-building strategy reveals the measure of a man
Tim Cook reached out his hand, smiled, and exclaimed, “You’re here! How are you?” I was shuffling, along with dozens of other journalists, into a relatively small press conference (it was IBM’s announcement and Cook was the fireside chat guest) and was caught off-guard by Cook’s acknowledgment.
I tentatively stepped forward and grabbed the Apple CEO’s hand, somewhat stunned that the leader of one of the biggest and most powerful technology companies in the world remembered, let alone knew me.
It was like that each time I saw Cook in person. I had no illusions that Cook and I were friends or that we’d ever share a meal. What I understood is that Cook is one of those people who can make anyone feel seen. He’s charming, smart, and knows that relationships, even with a tech journalist like me, matter.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Cook was being disingenuous, but he is strategic. Certainly, that’s the picture Bloomberg Businessweek’s Austin Carr and Mark Gurman paint of the 60-year-old chief executive.
I knew Cook’s story, having observed him from a distance for years and watched all the ways his presentation and management approach differed from his storied…
