Steve Jobs' Final Lesson To Tim Cook Came Just One Day Before He Died

The name Tim Cook is now known around the world, thanks to his role as CEO of Apple Inc. AAPL, leading one of the most valuable companies in the world.

Small Town to Apple HQ: Before he became the CEO of Apple and various other technology jobs, Cook grew up in the small town of Robertsdale, Alabama, which had a population of 6,708 in the 2020 Census.

Cook attended Auburn University to study industrial engineering, leaving the small town behind for college life. While in college, Cook watched football and asked a lot of questions, the CEO recalled in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal.

"I've gone from believing that if you ask questions, it meant you're fundamentally not smart, to believing that the more you ask, the more curious you are, the smarter you get," Cook said.

After working at IBM and Compaq and building a reputation as a supply-chain and logistics guru, Cook received a phone call from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and recalled knowing in minutes that this was the person he wanted to work for.

Cook moved to California, where he lived in a tiny apartment and drove a Honda Accord before becoming a guru at Apple. While with Apple, Cook reinvented the company's supply chain and logistics. He was later promoted to the role of chief operating officer before being named CEO in August 2011 to succeed Jobs, who was ailing.

In October 2011, Cook went to Jobs' home to say goodbye to the legendary Apple co-founder. Cook recalled Jobs’ last piece of advice for him was not to ask what Jobs would do, but to do what he thought was right when it came to leading Apple. Jobs passed away a day later.

While doubts lingered over Apple's future following Jobs' departure and passing, the company has thrived under Cook’s leadership. Apple has experienced years of growth, innovation, and new product launches, solidifying its position as the world's most valuable company with a $3.5 trillion valuation today.

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Tim Cook Today: Cook, who recently turned 64, believes that tomorrow is better than today.

"I love the idea for a bunch of people to feel like tomorrow is better than today – the dream, the belief that you're going to stand on your parents' shoulders," Cook said.

Cook said while this is a deeply American idea, he sees it throughout parts of the world.

"There may not be a more important philosophy in life. I think it's something we all need to hold onto – and not only hold onto it, but feel accountable for passing it on."

Despite being the CEO of one of the most valuable companies in the world, Cook is a rather private person. The interviewer shared tidbits about Cook that include liking to hike national parks and to drink Diet Mountain Dew.

He’s also a fan of Duke basketball and Auburn football, the schools where he got his Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science degrees, respectively.

Cook, who made history in 2014 as the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company, values his privacy and focuses on keeping the spotlight on Apple's products rather than his personal life.

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