Donald Trump is not a fan of Apple, and Apple is not a fan of Donald Trump. So many were wondering how, precisely, the company would react to Trump winning the election. The answer comes in the form of an email sent to employees.
Cook doesn’t tackle the election directly, in the letter. Instead he mirrors what many have done over the course of the last few days and called for unity in the Apple team. Cook acknowledges that many are nervous about the future, but that the only way to go is forward. Cook’s full email, acquired by Mashable, is reproduced below:
I’ve heard from many of you today about the presidential election. In a political contest where the candidates were so different and each received a similar number of popular votes, it’s inevitable that the aftermath leaves many of you with strong feelings.
We have a very diverse team of employees, including supporters of each of the candidates. Regardless of which candidate each of us supported as individuals, the only way to move forward is to move forward together. I recall something Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said 50 years ago: “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” This advice is timeless, and a reminder that we only do great work and improve the world by moving forward.
While there is discussion today about uncertainties ahead, you can be confident that Apple’s North Star hasn’t changed. Our products connect people everywhere, and they provide the tools for our customers to do great things to improve their lives and the world at large. Our company is open to all, and we celebrate the diversity of our team here in the United States and around the world — regardless of what they look like, where they come from, how they worship or who they love.
Cook closes by encouraging everyone to reach out to other co-workers if they feel anxious or need to talk it out. He hopes their Apple “family” can “move forward together,” regardless of the unexpected outcome of the election.
In other CEO letter news, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz also sent a letter to his employees saying he was “stunned” by Trump’s win , but “hopeful.”
“Like so many of our fellow Americans—both Democrats and Republicans—I am stunned,” Schultz wrote. “We cannot know what the precise impact will be on our country and the rest of the world. I am hopeful that we will overcome the vitriol and division of this unprecedented election season.”
(via Mashable)
