1mo ago

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

www.macrumors.com Apple CEO Tim Cook Donating $1 Million to Trump's Inaugural Fund

Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to donate $1 million to Donald Trump's inauguration fund, reports Axios. The donation will be a personal donation...

“Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to donate $1 million to Donald Trump's inauguration fund, reports Axios. The donation will be a personal donation directly from Cook rather than a donation from Apple”

I’ll defend Apple as being the least shitty of the big tech giants but I can’t defend this.

Technology @beehaw.org

schizoidman @lemm.ee

1mo ago

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

www.macrumors.com /2025/01/03/tim-cook-trump-inauguration-donation/

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Apple @lemmy.world

cantankerous_cashew @lemmy.world

1mo ago

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

www.macrumors.com /2025/01/03/tim-cook-trump-inauguration-donation/

278 110

214 comments

Pathetic thinly veiled bribe
- Or it is protection money. “Nice apple you got there, would be a shame if anyone took a bite out of that”….
  
  Why would Tim Cook be assosiated with Apple in trumps mind?
  Apple is owned by Tim Apple.
  Kind of strange that this line cook is able to afford a small 1 million dollar loan.......what? You think trump knows that a loan is different than a donation? You think he knows you're supposed to pay back loans?
  
  If any company could insulate itself from Trump's agenda, it would be Apple with its "fuck you" money.
  This is cowardly and craven.
- Needs to make sure there’s a loophole for Apple production when more China tariffs hit.

Imagine being a woman working for Apple and having a CEO who funds a rapist.
- Imagine being an openly gay CEO who funds a party who hates gays
  
  They hate poor gays
  
  They don't hate gays, they hate honesty, and also having social and legal limitations for various divergent traits allows blackmail and defamation.
- It’s absolutely wild how the first time around, everyone left of center was against Trump, even if it was only posturing. This time around, he’s even worse and the same people are literally supporting him.
  
  It's not the same people. It's more people. He actually won the popular vote, which hasn't been done since W Bush. And arguably, that didn't even happen.

What the fucking, fuck.
- This is one of the reasons why I am gradually untying myself from the Apple ecosystem, and all of propriety/big tech; especially US based.
  When push comes to shove capitalism will not resist fascism. They will ignore all stated virtue signals and choose profits.
  Choosing E2E encrypted FOSS products, that are interoperable with FOSS standards/formats and do not lock you into walled gardens, are the only viable long term solution.
  
  This might actually become the year of Linux on the desktop for me.
- Suprised? Had you put him on a pedastle in your mind? Did you think him to be more than a sniveling greedy capitalist prick? I'm sorry for this very harsh fall from artificial grace if so. I'd be careful about holding anyone with more than a few hundred million dollars to lose in too high esteem in the future.

He’s doing this to avoid being associated with Apple, but this only highlights that he’s personally a piece of shit, in addition to Apple.
Fuck him, fuck Apple, and fuck all those other motherfucking bootlickers enabling these fucking fascists.
- What's funny (or sad) is that 100 years from now this will be looked at the same was as when Ford or IBM supported the Nazis. Their business won't hurt long term and Tim Apple will be long dead.
  
  IG Farben, Krupp, Thyssen, Boss, Porsche and the list goes on and on and on. Fuck I suspect that even my own grandfather "had stripes" (slang for collaboration with Nazis without yourself being proclaimed nazi) and he even fought them during the invasion of Norway.
  
  If we survive that long as a species.
- He should just be honest and said "this $1m is a mandatory payment to trump so that he exempts Apple from tariffs, no other reason", of course, then it's an obvious quid pro quo.

Amazon, Meta, Uber, OpenAI's Sam Altman, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Coinbase, Toyota, Ford, GM, AT&T, Black & Decker, and Charter Communications are also making donations to Trump's inauguration fund.
I guess I never really paid attention before but is it normal for companies to donate to an inauguration fund? It sure seems like a government sanctioned protection racket.
- Perfectly normal, but not like this.
  https://www.opensecrets.org/obama/inaug_2009.php
  
  ABC News reported that Trump’s second-inauguration haul is on track to shatter the previous $107m record, as pledged contributions have already exceeded a $150m fundraising goal. Barack Obama’s inauguration raised $53m in 2009 and $42m in 2013, and Joe Biden’s raised $63m in 2021.
  https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-vance-inaugural-committee-track-raise-record-amount/story?id=116918692
  
  Oh wow, this is really informative. Thanks for the link friend
  
  Speaking of forgetting what's perfectly normal.. the days before uniting the citizens..
  Obama capped money for his inauguration at $50,000 per person - still, more than 10 times what individuals could give to his campaign.
- Only since Citizens United.
  
  you’re thinking of FECA probably. inauguration vs campaign funds are different things, and Citizens United was about campaign funds.

As a Bi man there is something that particularly stings about a well known, openly gay CEO funding a man who is hateful towards LGBTQ+ people. I never really liked him nor apple but it is an extra fuck you.
Being rich is ultimately the disease as it compels him to appeal to power but I hope the last things hears is "Told you I would kill you last".
- His in-group is not LGBTQIA+, it is other rich people. The same is true for all of them.
  
  The wealthy all seem to understand that class solidarity is more important than any other issue. Why is it taking so long for everyone else to figure that out?
- There are no real allies in the oligarch class. Temporal alliances or common goals at best. They will (and do) kill for a penny.
- Hands down, the most effective punishments for these people at the top is to redistribute their wealth so they have to live like everyone else.
  That is legitimately a fate worse than death in their eyes, which should put things into perspective for the rest of us.
- Peter Thiel is also a gay man, and pulling a lot of these strings behind the scenes.
  It’s oligarchy. Thiel can fuck who ever he wants (and make them disappear when he’s done…) while maintaining political power by sacrificing queer people to the Hour of Hate.
- Sam Altman, too
- Tim cook will never suffer the consequences of anti-gay legislation or the lack of legal protection for gay people.
  Unfortunately, gay people like money too. He cares more about furthering his own personal empire than he does about helping those who have less money than him.
  In the eyes of timmy, the struggles of poor gay people are completely irrelevant to the struggles of rich gay people.
  West was similarly eager to sell out his fans after they made him wealthy so he could suckle on trump's teat.
  
  West was similarly eager to sell out his fans after they made him wealthy so he could suckle on trump's teat.
- he is ultra rich, the hateful divide and conquer tactics applied to common people don't apply to him so he simply does not have any empathy for the matter.
- Yeah this is so weird. I guess it's either comply or die when it comes to this stuff
  
  I'm really not sure what the threat to him is though. Does "die" in this case mean lose out on money? One would think he already has his walk away money.

Why does such a thing as an inaugural fund exist? Seems like it's just to facilitate more corruption!
- It doesn't usually. The 'why' in the case is because Trump and his team refuse to sign the ethics agreement to get the normal funding from the government.
  
  Thanks, it must be amazing for Americans to have a president who won't sign a standard ethics agreement.
- It's coercion but somehow legal.

It really is a class war, not a culture war.
- Always has been.

Fuck Tim Apple

I’ll defend Apple as being the least shitty of the big tech giants but I can’t defend this.
Why would you do that though? The only thing I'm aware of that they do even remotely better than anyone else is privacy. But it's not that much better, and it comes at the cost of gestures at everything else
- IDK why people say they have better privacy: They just settled a lawsuit over evesdroping using Siri. I think they probably have less interest than Google in selling data for advertising, mostly likely using it internally for their ecosystem so they probably come across more privacy focused but I assume they snoop just as much as any other big tech company.
  
  less interest than Google in selling data for advertising
  Google don't sell data. The data is what makes them valuable, so it wouldn't make sense. If they did sell data, the other big tech companies would just buy their data to remove their competitive advantage.
  What Google actually sells is your attention. Advertisers can target people based on demographic data, things you like, etc, but the advertiser never sees the data used for targeting.
  You can use Google and Facebook's Ads Manager sites yourself and see exactly what advertisers see.
  On the other hand, Apple mostly keep their collected data for their own ad network. Yes, they have one - it's mostly just used for ads for "recommended" apps in the app store, but last I heard, they have plans to expand it.
- They just settled Siri snoop case for a fee pennies...
  "Privacy"
  
  would a nice $20 bill appease the peasantry?
- The only thing I’m aware of that they do even remotely better than anyone else is privacy.
  Where did you hear this? Its my understanding that they are one of the worst when it comes to privacy.
  
  Siri "unintentionally" (because it's a sentient being right?) recording entire conversations def feels pretty terrible.
- They do better about privacy because they make enough money from their inflated prices and blind brand loyalty where they dont have to become an ad company like google. Google is very good at protecting their users data from third parties, as long as they can still collect all of it.
  Apple (currently) doesn't collect a lot of data which allows them to design products with security as a primary component instead of as an afterthought
  
  They collect everything. Every detail of your usage. They may not sell it, but your entire life is on an apple server
- Like I said, they're the least shitty. Can you think of a corp that's better? Google? Fucking Meta? Microsoft?
  
  Microsoft didn't spend multiple decades trying to force their own chargers and ports over universal standards. Not saying any of them are good, but apple is in no way better and has spent years creating contention between consumers. It's just as likely they sell your tracking data as anyone else, they spend developer time every month making sure their ecosystem is considered better for cultural reasons while being ostensibly worse than competitors for most things. Their phones are generally a year or more behind competitors but they have made-up features that serve no purpose consumers rally around like imessage. They have a tiny sandbox to play in without completely voiding your warranty - Themes instead of real customization. "Blue bubbles"? Are you kidding me? How about allowing any form of tinkering beyond a garden path? How about supporting repair of devices at their actual branded stores? They're easily up there as one of the worst for consumers at large.
  
  I have my own problems with them, but off the top of my head I think the following tech companies all do better than Apple: Red Hat, Canonical, Framework, Purism, System76, Fairphone.
  
  At least with android devices there is a possibility of swapping the operating system and windows computers can always be made Linux.

All these Billionaires PAYING Trump MILLIONS of Dollars is PROOF he CANT be Bought!
- None of these companies would touch Trump with a 10 foot pole in the situation wasn't so dire. But he is the next president, and he is known to respond to stuff like this. Bend knee, kiss his ass and carry a huge wad of cash. This is just the cost of doing business, and even if a vocal minority cries out most people still buy iPhones, Teslas and shop at Amazon and Wal-Mart.
  
  It's almost like capitalism is a terrible idea.
- lol I interpret this as sarcasm, as with many of your other comments around Lemmy. If they are so, I think they're funny and so far I agree with what you actually value, democracy. However, it took me some time to understand your sarcasm. This might be just me, but I wonder if your comments could be subjected to Poe's Law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe%27s_law). Is it impossible that they could be interpreted as candid?
  
  I got the joke right away, I don't think there's any problem with it.
  The thing is, no matter how obvious a contradiction is, far-right folks won't understand any of it, because they're so dumb. You cannot give them even the most basic, easily digestible facts and explanations, because even that requires a brain, which they don't have.
  So I think, these kind of jokes are perfectly fine for our entertainment, and no amount of facts and information will ever convince the dumbest of the people.

Have inauguration funds always been a thing? Or is this a Trump thing? What’s the purpose?
I can understand campaign funds. But if you’ve won I don’t know if I understand a candidate specific donation after the fact.
- Previous administrations have used special government funds that are dedicated to the transition and inauguration. This comes with obvious restrictions and ethics requirements since it is taxpayer money.
  Trump has decided to not use this money and get donations instead, which allows him and his incoming administration to skirt the normal mandatory reporting, disclosures, and rules.
  
  Ah, corruption to facilitate more corruption.
  That sounds like a Trump thing.
  
  Unfortunately based
- It's tribute to the new emperor hoping that he won't go after them. Gotta play nice while they can.

They're being shaken down. Same as Mark Zuckerberg being summoned to a meeting with Trump and the next day paying $1m to the same fund.
I'm betting these meetings went something like, "You don't want a president as an enemy, do you? Cough up."
And don't think of it as a tax on the rich - it's not going towards the benefit of the American people. It's extortion.

Tim Cook is hoping to be spared when Trump starts purging gay people.
- Hey, he's a billionaire. Being gay is only illegal if you're poor like everything else.
  
  No war, but the class war.

It's not going to make him remember your actual name, Tim.
You'll always be Tim Apple to him.
- Time to make him Tim Apple to everyone else, too.

This country makes me sick to my stomach. What a fucking joke.
- If you can find a way: get out.
  For everyone else, you have my sincere sympathy.
  
  And go where? Where in the world is safe right now? I thought about living in the Philippines with my family, but China is probably waging war soon. Europe? With the way America is headed and the war is going? Let's assume Ukraine wins: Europe is out of gas and will militarize and right wing governments are rising with German nationalism leading the battle drums, Ukraine gonna be in an economic slump, Russia is gonna be subservient and dependent on China because its economy is gone without a win.
  That leaves countries with metropolises that are suffering from westerners gentrifying their neighborhoods with the USD being strong in these places. We are really going to make the poor in other nations pay the price for our government's doing again, but this time by our own choice? That's not any better imo. Unless you are leaving with the specific intent on making the place you are going better, stay home please

These CEOs are funding hate, violence and the end of American democracy - they have enough power, money and influence to oppose, yet they don't. They decided that a few must be sacrificed for the greater ~~good~~ profit.
Something happened on the 4th of December. Today is the 4th of January. Just in case anyone's calendar app is stuck closed. Interesting if true...
- Well... they saw that they can show their real face.

The personal donation part is weird. This sounds like a deliberate attempt to appease the fascists while trying, desperately, to maintain Apple's image.

Gross. Sick of rich assholes enabling the fascist.

Tim Apple.
- After that slip he still bends the knee. Good old classic reliable Tim Apple

Absolutely disgusting

$1 million seems to be the going fealty price for these people.

No matter how much money they spend on this party they're still celebrating putting a convicted con man in the White House - whoopeee! - while the chumps who voted for him say, "What... my meds aren't covered anymore?"
Congratulations on flushing your country down a solid gold toilet, "conservatives".

Paying largesse/protection money.

Paying his tribute to the king. He'll have to donate more if he wants to usurp Elon. How much has Zuck donated?
- Also 1M to the inauguration. It's a shakedown IMO, though FWIW 1M is pennies to these guys.

Typical CEO tribute to the newly crowned King of the United States for some tariff exemptions.

iClass-traitor.
- He's the CEO of Apple, my guy. He's serving his class

least shitty
Wat!?
- It's a very low bar
- They're the only one selling physical products as their main business so they can afford to give you marginally better privacy and UX than say, Google, who's built their business on tying tracking and advertising into their open source products like Chromium and Android.
  
  Better UX what

It’s time to boycott Apple
- I've been doing that for decades, the last apple product I used was an Apple ][e. Couldn't resist that sweet Oregon Trail action at the time.
  
  5th Gen iPod Video for me, circa 2006. I actually loved the device, but having to use the trash software that was iTunes is what radicalized me.
- I'm streets ahead!
- I'm way ahead of you.
  I haven't been buying apple products because they have mediocre hardware for high prices.
- Do you know how formalized boycott by everyone in country is called? A ban. Time to ban it.
  
  Sure let's start a witch hunt banning people and companies who don't align with our unique individual politics. What could go wrong?

What a little bitch..

You best start believing in technofeudal distopias, you're living in one.

They’re all “donating” the same amount.
And also this is the largest inaugural fund in history. In comparison to his previous which was $107m this is so far over $150m.
Considering Bidens and both of Obamas were between $50m and $70m is this not ringing alarm bells with anyone? Or is this something to “look” in to in like 7 years time when no one gives a shit.
Beggars belief.
- This is how things are going to work going forward.
  Even if it is illegal, these people are above the law. Internet just exposing obvious corruption.

That's probably 25% of their holiday bonus!
- It's from his own money, not that it makes things any better.
  
  Yes, not really better at all. These donations are all symbols, not meaningful except as a show of obeisance. So we should interpret it along the same symbolic parameters.
  It's being framed as a personal donation because Cook is acquiescing to Trump's pending authoritarian takeover, but wants plausible deniability that that imputes to Apple. But since Tim Cook is the one acquiescing and he leads Apple, it's indistinguishable from the same thing. It carries the same message: Apple won't get in your way, do what you will.

Tim Apple*

Fuck that. Not cool.

https://anntelnaes.substack.com/p/why-im-quitting-the-washington-post

What I'm curious about is, according to the article, Tim Apple is donating from this own money and won't be donating Apple's money. Why make it a personal donation and not a corporate one?
While others are donating as companies (don't agree with this either but different subject), none are doing it as a personal donation. As the face of Apple, he won't get far claiming that it doesn't reflect Apple as a company, so why not just m make it corporate? Unless it's for tax reasons?
- Maybe he assumes it will be more impressive to Trump.
- I didn't follow these donation news too closely, but from the headlines it always sounded like they do it personally!? Maybe Trump makes a point out of it that it comes from them personally? Would make them personally attached to him.
  
  I didn't follow these donation news too closely, but from the headlines it always sounded like they do it personally!?
  Really? I've never seen a single article that said that. Even this one points out that
  Amazon, Meta, Uber, OpenAI's Sam Altman, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Coinbase, Toyota, Ford, GM, AT&T, Black & Decker, and Charter Communications are also making donations to Trump's inauguration fund.
  None of these say Zuckerberg, or Bezos, etc.... (except for Sam Altman). Seems that it's companies that are the norm.

corporations will always prioritize tax cuts and deregulation

Meh, I was never going to buy their shitty crap anyway.
- I've been boycotting Apple since 1997

I guess it was that or a blow job.

Corruption as always. Regular donations ensure that whoever is currently holding power isn't going to cause [regulatory] problems
- It's worse than that. There's a level of hypocrisy here in that a company marketing itself as inclusive has a CEO who is donating to a far right, authoritarian slush fund. This isn't business as usual.
  
  This isn't business as usual
  It is. The hypocrisy is part of the business itself. Democrats are in power - you market inclusiveness and donate to democrats. Republicans win - you donate to republicans.
  And in reality - you don't give a fuck about politics, you just play the rigged game by its twisted rules.

Kissing the ring, like all the others
- More like smooching the butt trumpet.

Can't wait for the leopard to eat this face.

Way to go, Tim Apple

He's totally not doing it to get Trumpf to like him. He's gonna get his own imaginary political role.

Steves wept.
Between Tom Clancy and Steve Jobs rotational corpse energy reclamation may just save us all.

Whoa, he got the rich to pay taxes.
\ Not government taxes tho.

This isn't even remotely surprising. Apple has been a shitty company for well over a decade.
- And before it wasn't?

A rich white cis gay man backstabbing trans people?
This never happens, I'm shocked!
- https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/24/tech/tim-cook-gay-apple/index.html
  https://time.com/4036006/tim-cook-coming-out-gay/
  Seems $ is the idol he is worshipping.

I can’t help but wonder if this is to take the news spotlight away from the Siri recording scandal that just popped up
- What Siri recording?
  
  https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/story/apple-agrees-to-pay-millions-after-siri-was-accused-of-recording-private-conversations-459404-2025-01-03

It's less than .05% of his worth. It's like us dropping pocket change in the Red Cross bucket and he'll make more than that in profit from changes the bribe paid for from the great cheetoh.