Apple head Tim Cook has donated 50,000 of his shares in the company to an undisclosed charity, according to an SEC filing Friday. The donation has a value of $6.54 million, as of this writing.
Since taking over the company from co-founder Steve Jobs back in 2011, Cook has proven to be far more outspoken on charitable and political matters than his predecessor. He donated an undisclosed amount to support gay rights in his home state of Alabama and has pledged to give away all of his wealth (once he’s paid for his nephew’s college education).
This is just the latest in a series of public moves and gestures outside of immediate Apple business that would probably drive his old boss crazy, as the former CEO was far less interested in donations or making statements about political issues like gay rights and environmental concerns. Cook is adding his name to a list of generous and outspoken industry figures.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which former Microsoft head Bill Gates manages, oversees a $42 billion endowment and funds projects like clean water for developing countries, agricultural development, and financial services. Gates and investor Warren Buffett also established The Giving Pledge, which encourages billionaires to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes and includes figures like media magnate Ted Turner, Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg, and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
So in these matters, at least, Cook is more Bill Gates than Steve Jobs. Nobody tell Jobs.
