Time Magazine has released its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and Apple CEO and Alabama native made their list.
Time divided their 100 most influential people into five categories: Pioneers, Titans, Artists, Leaders, and Icons. Cook, who was born in Mobile, was listed as a Titan along with Pope Francis, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Stephen Curry, and Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan.
Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company, wrote Cook’s entry for Time:
“Apple is known for elegant, innovative products that change the world by transforming how we connect, create and communicate, as well as how we work, think and act. Its continued success requires a leader of great courage and character who demands excellence, upholds the highest ethical standards and routinely challenges the status quo, including encouraging vital conversations about who we are as a culture and a community.
Tim Cook is that kind of leader.
Behind his soft-spoken demeanor and Southern manners is a focused fearlessness that comes from deep personal conviction. Tim is committed to doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time and for the right reasons. As CEO, he’s led Apple to new heights, and he continues to build a global brand that is universally recognized as an industry leader and widely respected for its values.”
Cook began working at Apple in 1998 after receiving an industrial engineering degree from Auburn University and a master’s from Duke University. He started as Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations at Apple and became CEO after Steve Jobs resigned in 2011.
Cook has made headlines in the past few weeks from his public battle with the FBI over phone security and privacy. The FBI ultimately did not force Apple to unlock the phone.
Other entries on the world’s most influential list include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Caitlyn Jenner, Priyanka Chopra, Melissa McCarthy, Idris Elba, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Justin Trudeau, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Adele, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
