The Apple exec responsible for keeping the tech giant’s costs down in China is still suffering after being fired in September after making a joke that was caught on TikTok.
Months ago, Apple confirmed Tony Blevins, 55, was leaving Apple after 22 years after several hundred employees filed dozens of reports and complaints about the viral video uploaded on September 5.
The departure comes at the same time as a chain of events affecting Apple’s supply chain in China due to the country’s ongoing strict protocols related to Covid-19. Blevins, the company’s vice president of procurement, has been described as “Tim Cook’s cost-cutter.”
In a new interview, Blevins said he thinks his firing is a result of Apple’s caveating to “broader cultural pressures.”
Of his sacking, Blevins said, “You have humiliated me and damaged my reputation.”
The video, which revolved around Blevins’ $500,000 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (above), was reported in complaints by several hundred Apple employees
In the video, TikToker Daniel Mac, who asks expensive car owners what their job is, speaks to 55-year-old Blevins while parking 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 fancy cars, play golf, and fondle women with big breasts, but I take weekends and major holidays off.”
“Besides, if you’re interested, I have a damn good dental plan.” In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Blevins said a colleague told him after the video was leaked, “This is really bad, some people have complained.”
He added: “It was 22 years resolved in about 25 seconds. It totally shocked me. My whole life has been Apple. I tried to be the most faithful person.’
The quote refers to the 1981 film Arthur starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli. The film’s plot revolves around a wealthy man who surrounds himself with the finer things in life.
In the video, TikToker Daniel Mac, who asks expensive car owners what their job is, speaks to 55-year-old Blevins while parking his $500,000 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
The quote refers to the 1981 film Arthur starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli. The film’s plot revolves around a wealthy man who surrounds himself with the finer things in life
Blevins says in a new interview: “It was 22 years that unraveled in about 25 seconds. It totally 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 fancy cars, play golf, and fondle women with big boobs, but I take weekends and major holidays off.”
Members of Apple’s operations and procurement teams reported the video to Human Resources, with the topic becoming a popular discussion among employees and business partners during the episode
Members of Apple’s operations and procurement teams reported the video to Human Resources, with the topic becoming a popular discussion among employees and business partners during the episode.
They claimed that CEO Tim Cook and COO Jeff Williams were among those upset 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 gap, the Journal reports.
During his interview with WSJ, Blevins expressed his disbelief and regret at the clip, which was filmed privately, to a non-colleague. He added his belief that Apple is bowing to “broader cultural pressures.”
The former vice president said many of his former charges still support him and testified that he has not exhibited any other troubling behavior. While others at the company believe Apple should continue with its zero-tolerance policy towards comments that appear to be sexually charged.
A former HR executive at the company, Chris Deaver, told the Journal, “Leaders must embody Apple principles.”
Blevins, a University of North Carolina graduate, said a farewell party hosted by his colleagues was abruptly canceled because negotiations with management over his departure ended sourly. The manager said he had not received any severance pay.
He said: “You have humiliated me and damaged my reputation.”
The video was captured by TikToker Daniel Mac on Aug. 18 at a car show Blevins attended in Pebble Beach, California. At the time of writing, the clip has more than 200,000 likes
The video was captured on August 18 at a car show Blevins attended in Pebble Beach, California. At the time of writing, the clip has more than 200,000 likes.
Blevins was most recently the tech giant’s vice president of procurement, where Salary.com and Glassdoor put his salary at between $273,000 and $377,000.
In a separate 2020 Wall Street Journal article about his prominence at Apple, Blevins told the outlet that he uses “the Blevinator” when negotiating with suppliers to keep costs down for the tech giant.
At the same time that Blevins was fired, Apple announced it would manufacture the iPhone 14 in India as manufacturers shift production out of China amid geopolitical tensions and pandemic restrictions that have disrupted supply chains for many industries.
In November, a Portal report highlighted that Apple’s reliance on China for its supply chain wasn’t what it was.
The data shows how a diversification course by Apple and its suppliers, with investments in India and Vietnam and increased sourcing from Taiwan, the United States and elsewhere, is reshaping the global supply structure, although analysts and academics say the company will remain heavily exposed to China for many years.
“The supply chain in China is not going away overnight,” said Eli Friedman, an associate professor at Cornell University who studies labor issues in China.
“Decoupling just isn’t realistic for these companies for now,” he said, although he expects accelerated diversification.