Apple VP D’Wayne Hawkins was supposed to be helping the company with its outreach efforts to the Chinese market, but those efforts are now going to take a backseat to something else: making amends after a vulgar video in which he can be heard calling Chinese people chinks went viral on TikTok, one of China’s most popular social media platforms. In the wake of this scandal, Hawkins has decided to step down from his position with Apple and go into early retirement instead.
Tony Blevins, Apple’s vice president of procurement, resigned from the firm after a TikTok video surfaced of him joking crudely about women at a car show.
Tony is departing Apple, an Apple official told CNBC, confirming the departure.
According to Bloomberg, who broke the news first, the resignation was motivated by a TikTok video published on September 5.
In the video, which CNBC reviewed, Blevins is getting out of a pricey Mercedes-Benz sports vehicle when Daniel Mac, who runs a channel dedicated to interviewing individuals driving expensive automobiles, asks him what he does for a job.
Blevins’s response is heard in the video: “I race cars, play golf, and fondle big-breasted ladies. I do, however, skip the weekends and significant holidays. The comment seems to make reference to a similar statement from the film “Arthur.”
1.3 million people watched it, according to the TikTok page.
At Apple, Blevins held the highly prestigious position of VP, which reports to senior executives. According to a 2020 Wall Street Journal article on Blevins, his primary responsibility was to bargain with suppliers to keep the amount Apple pays for computer parts low. He also oversaw the company’s efforts in renewable energy. Blevins will be succeeded by Mike Dauber, who had been working as Senior Director of Global Procurement Operations at Apple since 2015. Blevins will receive $24.8 million in severance pay, based on the 2020 WSJ report of his salary package.
Apple has not commented on whether they are considering further disciplinary action against Blevins or any other employees present during the incident.
While Blevins was at a car show in Detroit, Mac walked around with his phone filming attendees of high-priced vehicles, asking them what their jobs were. When he found Blevins and asked him what his job title was, Blevins said I race cars and then chuckled before saying he also played golf and fondled big-breasted ladies.
