Apple CEO Tim Cook’s giving philosophy

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook provided a window into his personal giving philosophy during an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek. The interview, published online Thursday morning, covers a wide swath of topics around Cook’s first full year as Apple’s chief executive. Cook is the first to serve in the role after the passing of the company’s co-founder Steve Jobs.

Cook said that he was driven by John F. Kennedy’s quote, of which he offered a modified version, saying, “My own personal philosophy on giving is best stated in a [John F.] Kennedy quote, ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.’” Cook went on to highlight that Apple had instituted a policy of matching its employees’ charitable donations.

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“It’s not some corporate committee deciding,” said Cook, “it’s our 80,000 employees deciding what they want to do, and then we match it.”

The “Apple Matching Gifts Program” was announced to employees in mid-September 2011 via an e-mail from Cook, and the following month AppleInsider reported that the program had raised $2.6 million.

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