Apple govt Tony Blevins out after crude TikTok remarks

(Bloomberg) — Certainly one of Apple Inc.’s most senior executives is leaving after he turned up in a viral video on TikTok making an off-color joke that he fondles “big-breasted girls” for a dwelling.

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Within the video, printed on Sept. 5, Apple’s Tony Blevins was approached by TikTok and Instagram creator Daniel Mac as a part of a sequence the place he asks homeowners of pricy vehicles their occupations. The chief was stopped by Mac whereas parking a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, an out-of-production sports activities automobile that fetches tons of of hundreds of {dollars}.

When requested what he does for a dwelling, Blevins stated, “I’ve wealthy vehicles, play golf and fondle big-breasted girls, however I take weekends and main holidays off.” He additionally touted that he has a “hell of a dental plan.”

In actuality, Blevins is Apple’s vp of procurement and is answerable for placing offers with suppliers and companions. He lately labored on the corporate’s satellite tv for pc settlement with Globalstar Inc., led negotiations over mobile modems with Qualcomm Inc. and Intel Corp., and has been answerable for driving down the prices of many important components that go into Apple’s cellular gadgets.

After an inside investigation into the matter, Blevins’s workforce — which included about half a dozen direct studies and a number of other hundred staff — was faraway from his command, in response to folks aware of the state of affairs.

Blevins, a 22-year veteran of Apple, confirmed the incident to Bloomberg, saying the encounter passed off on Aug. 18. “I want to take this chance to sincerely apologize to anybody who was offended by my mistaken try at humor,” he stated.

An Apple spokesman stated Thursday that Blevins is departing the Cupertino, California-based firm.

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Blevins has been a part of a roughly 100-person group of vice presidents at Apple and one among solely about 30 executives that report back to both Chief Government Officer Tim Cook dinner or Chief Working Officer Jeff Williams. Williams has been Blevins’s boss for a lot of his profession, although he briefly reported to Sabih Khan, Apple’s senior vp of operations, in response to the folks.

It was Williams’s choice for the corporate and Blevins to half methods, one of many folks stated. The working chief will oversee Blevins’s outdated workforce, at the least for now, in response to the individual.

The TikTok video was taken at a automobile present that Blevins attended final month in Pebble Seashore, California. His remarks within the 25-second clip reference a line from the 1981 film Arthur, the place predominant character Arthur Bach describes his personal profession: “I race vehicles, play tennis and fondle girls, however I’ve weekends off and I’m my very own boss.”

The video garnered greater than 40,000 likes on Instagram and 1.3 million views on TikTok. After the clip was printed, some members of Apple’s operations and procurement groups reported it to the human sources division, stated the folks, who requested to not be recognized as a result of the state of affairs is personal. The corporate then launched the investigation, they stated.

The video turned a subject of dialogue amongst Apple staff in latest weeks, with some expressing anger about his feedback — particularly on condition that different executives, together with Cook dinner and Williams, have publicly championed workforce variety and the empowerment of ladies — in response to the folks. The video has additionally begun to unfold amongst staff at a few of the firm’s key suppliers.

Blevins’s departure opens up a void at Apple. He’s been integral to the corporate’s success over the previous 20 years, in response to staff with data of his work, serving to Apple fatten its revenue margins and get entry to core applied sciences earlier than rivals. He could also be tough to switch, given his understanding of Apple’s provide chain and his negotiating expertise, they stated.

The Wall Road Journal described him as Apple’s chief price cutter in a 2020 characteristic story, saying he goes by “the Blevinator.”

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