In a recent revelation, former President Donald Trump has stated that Apple CEO Tim Cook reached out to him, expressing his concerns over the hefty fines imposed on his company by the European Union.
This disclosure was made during a podcast interview with Patrick Bet-David, where Trump, the Republican nominee, shared his cordial relationship with Cook, who he said contacted him just prior to the interview.
According to Mediaite, Trump also made a bold assertion regarding the leadership of Apple. He suggested that the company's success would not have been as significant if it were still under the helm of Steve Jobs instead of Cook. "I believe that if Tim Cook didnt run Apple, if Steve Jobs did, it wouldnt maybe it would be successful but it wouldnt be nearly as successful, Trump told Bet-David. I think Tim Cooks done an amazing job. And Im not knocking Steve Jobs.
The former president further revealed that Cook expressed his dissatisfaction over a $2 billion fine during their recent conversation. Earlier this year, the European Union imposed a $2 billion fine on Apple, citing the company's monopolistic control over the music streaming industry via the App Store. In addition, the EU also emerged victorious in a legal battle, compelling Apple to pay nearly $15 billion in unpaid taxes.
Trump recounted Cook's words during their conversation, "But then two hours ago, three hours ago, he called me, he said, Id like to talk to you about somethingHe said, the European Union has just fined us $15 billion. I said thats a lot. I know the feeling because I get fined too, and fake cases. But I dont know if his case is fake yet, but its a lot. Then on top of that, they got fined by the European Union. Another 2 billion. So its a 17 to $18 billion fine. I even said about Apple, can you pay that? I mean, do you have that? Thats a lot of money. And he said something was interesting. He said, theyre using that to run their enterprise, meaning Europe is their enterprise."
Trump's conversation with Cook underscores the ongoing tension between multinational corporations and regulatory bodies, particularly in the context of the European Union's stringent policies. The full interview can be accessed via the Patrick Bet-David Podcast.
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