Tony Blevins, the Apple executive tasked with trying to cut the tech giant’s costs in China, is still in pain after being fired in September after cracking a seemingly harmless joke that was caught on TikTok.
Months ago, Apple confirmed that Blevins, 55, was leaving Apple after 22 years following dozens of reports and complaints from several hundred employees about the viral video uploaded September 5.
The departure came at the same time as a chain of events that impacted Apple’s supply chain in China, due to the country’s still very strict Covid-19 protocols. Blevins, the company’s vice president of procurement, was dubbed “Tim Cook’s cost cutter.”
In a new interview, Blevins says he believes his firing was the result of Apple bowing to “wider cultural pressure.” Speaking about his dismissal, Blevins said: “They humiliated me and damaged my reputation.”
In the video, TikToker Daniel Mac, who asks owners of expensive cars their profession, approaches Blevins, 55, as he parks his $500,000 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
In the video, TikToker Daniel Mac, who asks owners of expensive cars their profession, approaches Blevins, 55, as he parks his $500,000 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.
As he has done dozens of times, Mac asks Blevins what he does for a living, and Blevins replies, “I have rich cars, play golf, and caress busty women, but I take weekends and long vacations.
“Besides, if you’re interested, I have one hell of a dental insurance. In a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, Blevins said a management colleague told him after the video was leaked, “It’s really bad, some people have complained.”
He added: “That was 22 dissolved in about 25 seconds. It completely shocked me. My whole life has been Apple. I tried to be the most loyal person.
The quote refers to the 1981 film Arthur starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli. The plot of the film revolves around a man born into wealth who surrounds himself with the finer things in life.
The quote refers to the 1981 film Arthur starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli. The film’s plot revolves around a man born into wealth who surrounds himself with the finer things in life.
Blevins says in a new interview, “It was 22 years dissolved in about 25 seconds. It completely shocked me. My whole life has been Apple. I tried to be the most faithful person’
Mac asks Blevins what he does for a living, and Blevins replies, “I have rich cars, play golf, and caress busty women, but I take weekends and big vacations. “
Members of Apple’s operations and supply teams reported the video to Human Resources, with the topic becoming a popular discussion among employees and business partners during the fallout.
Members of Apple’s operations and supply teams reported the video to Human Resources, with the topic becoming a popular discussion among employees and business partners during the fallout.
They claimed CEO Tim Cook and COO Jeff Williams were among those angered by the comments. Blevins was one of the few company executives who reported directly to Cook.
After his departure, Blevins was not properly replaced, but instead a team was reassigned to fill the void, the Journal reports.
During his interview with WSJ, Blevins expressed his disbelief and remorse for the clip, which was made privately, to a non-colleague. He added his belief that Apple was bowing to “wider cultural pressure.”
The former vice president said many of his former officials are still supportive of him and said he has not exhibited any other troubling behavior. While others within the company believe Apple should continue to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for any seemingly sexually charged comments.
A former human resources manager for the company, Chris Deaver, told the Journal, “Leaders must embody Apple’s principles.”
Blevins, a graduate of the University of North Carolina, went on to say that a going away party hosted by his colleagues was abruptly canceled as negotiations over his departure with management ended bitterly. The executive said he had not received severance pay.
He said, “They humiliated me and damaged my reputation.
The video was taken on August 18 by TikToker Daniel Mac, at a car show Blevins attended in Pebble Beach, California. At the time of writing, the clip has over 200,000 likes
The video was taken on August 18, at a car show Blevins attended in Pebble Beach, California. At the time of writing, the clip has over 200,000 likes.
Blevins had most recently served as vice president of procurement at the tech giant, where Salary.com and Glassdoor estimated his salary at between $273,000 and $377,000.
In a separate 2020 Wall Street Journal article about his fame at Apple, Blevins told the outlet that he went through “the Blevinator” as he negotiated with suppliers to cut costs for the tech giant.
At the same time Blevins was fired, Apple announced it would manufacture the iPhone 14 in India, as makers moved production from China amid geopolitical tensions and pandemic restrictions that disrupted supply chains. many industries.
While in November, a Reuters report pointed out that Apple’s reliance on China for its supply line was not what it was.
Data shows how a diversification drive by Apple and its suppliers, with investments in India and Vietnam and increased purchases from Taiwan, the United States and elsewhere, is reshaping the supply structure world, although analysts and academics say it will remain heavily exposed to China. for many years to come.
“The Chinese supply chain is not going to evaporate overnight,” said Eli Friedman, an associate professor at Cornell University who studies labor in China.
“Decoupling just isn’t realistic for these companies right now,” he said, although he expected diversification to accelerate.