Apple CEO Tim Cook was among a handful of top tech executives who attended a classified CIA briefing warning that China could attack Taiwan by 2027, according to a sweeping investigative report by The New York Times ($). The previously unreported briefing was apparently held in a secure room in Silicon Valley in July 2023.
What? Why? As in, why Tim Cook aka Tim Apple? I’m so confused, why are tech oligarchs getting CIA briefings? And this is normal?
Veiled threats to motivate them to build chip factories in the US maybe?
To play into the theory here (China invading)…
Apple makes phones. Lots of people buy the phones. If apple can’t make phones, then they can’t sell phones, then people can’t buy phones, bad for economy.
If China invaded Taiwan and it wasn’t a “peaceful transfer of power”, then China could just level the whole country, which would destroy all the fabs and little Susie down the street can’t upgrade from the iPhone 18 to the iPhone 19. Again, just playing into the theory.
Americans are consumers. I’m assuming they think(CIA/gov) that as long as iPhones, TVs, and porn is available then Americans won’t care about Taiwan getting invaded.
The US is showing the future the 1% are pushing for humanity. Governments will no longer be elected politicians, but corporate CEOs.
Network (1976)
I think it’s pressure to try to get him to pull out of deals with Chinese memory manufacturers.
It isn’t going to work though. The industry is too fucked right now and apple needs to partner with Chinese memory manufacturers if they want to produce hardware this year.