Apple fires exec after he made crude jokes on the costly automotive man’s TikTok

Apple’s vice chairman of procurement, Tony Blevins, has been fired from the corporate after his crude remarks in a TikTok interview went viral, in response to a report from Bloomberg. Earlier this month, creator Daniel Mac posted a video the place he requested Blevins what he does for a dwelling, which confirmed Blevins responding: “I race cars and play golf and fondle big-breasted women. But I take weekends and major holidays off.”

The video doesn’t determine Blevins by identify and doesn’t reference his place at Apple, although Blevins does notice that his job gives “a hell of a dental plan.” Mac’s format on TikTok largely consists of strolling as much as individuals in costly or luxurious vehicles and asking what they do for a dwelling. As a barely extra secure for work instance, try him interviewing President Joe Biden in a Cadillac Lyriq.

Bloomberg stories that the video set off an inside investigation at Apple, which resulted in Blevins being eliminated as the pinnacle of his crew. The report additionally says that it angered some staff, who thought the feedback didn’t align with Apple’s goals of accelerating ladies’s illustration and empowerment. Blevins informed Bloomberg that he “would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by my mistaken attempt at humor.” Bloomberg says Blevins’ comment was a misquote of a line from the 1981 film Arthur.

Apple has been identified to be comparatively strict about what its staff put up on TikTok. Earlier this yr, one engineer alleged that the corporate was threatening to fireplace her for a viral video providing tech assist to somebody who had their telephone stolen. This scenario isn’t precisely the identical; Blevins didn’t put up the video on his personal, as a substitute showing in another person’s video, however his feedback are considerably much less brand-friendly. In an inside doc concerning social media posts, Apple tells staff: “we want you to be yourself, but you should also be respectful in posts, tweets, and other online communications.”

According to a profile from The Wall Street Journal, Blevins’ job on the firm was to work with (or generally bully) suppliers and companions into giving the corporate higher offers. He reportedly saved the corporate a whole lot of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} through the development of its Apple Park constructing.