Apple CEO Tim Cook recently had a candid interview with Dua Lipa. The interview covered topics such as Cook’s personal journey, Apple’s future vision, and the company’s internal culture.
Cook joined Apple in 1998. Before that, he was the vice president of Corporate Materials at Compaq, where he managed the company’s product inventory. He was also the chief operating officer of the Reseller Division at Intelligent Electronics.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be there,” the CEO told Lipa about Apple on Friday. “I love it there, and I can’t envision my life without being there. So, I’ll be there a while.”
He made the comments while chatting with the “Dance The Night” singer on the latest episode of the podcast “Dua Lipa: At Your Service.”
Lipa has done the podcast for three seasons so far. Some other notable guests who have appeared on the Grammy-award winning artist’s show in the past have included Greta Gerwig, Elton John, Monica Lewinsky and Nadia Murad.
“We’re a company that believes in working on succession plans, so we have very detailed succession plans. Because something that’s unpredictable can always happen,” he told the singer. “I can step off the wrong curb tomorrow, and hopefully that doesn’t happen. I pray that it doesn’t.”
“I will say my job is to prepare several people for the ability to succeed, and I really want the person to come from within Apple, the next CEO,” Cook said on the podcast. “So that’s my role, is to make sure there’s several for the board to pick from.”
Cook has helmed Apple since August 2011. His overall time at the tech giant has spanned a quarter of a century, with Cook having first come on board in 1998.
He moved into the CEO role after Steve Jobs, who along with co-founders Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne had formed the company back in 1976, stepped down. Jobs passed away in the fall of 2011 after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer and other health issues.
Cook had said earlier in his appearance on “Dua Lipa: At Your Service” that becoming CEO of Apple was “beyond what I would have ever dreamed for myself.” He also said he wanted to use some of his wealth to help children get more education and “help other people achieve the same dream that I achieved.”
The company has experienced major growth while Cook has led it, with Apple’s market capitalization sitting around $2.96 trillion as of Tuesday afternoon.
