Who is the next Steve Jobs It&'s a question that Apple shareholders will be looking at during their next meeting, where theya4ぎa4ll vote on a proposal to create a written policy on finding a new CEO.
In a filing released today, Applea4ぎa4г board of directors opposed the proposal, arguing that it would give competitors unfair insight into Applea4ぎa4г a4ぎAconfidential objectives and plans.a4ぎ The board also said that publicly identifying CEO candidates might make those candidates a target for recruiters, while non-candidates would feel that theya4ぎa4d been passed over.
Since Apple is so reticent to talk about its next CEO, wea4ぎa4ёe come up with one possible answer &8212' Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.
Now, that probably sounds like a big stretch, but leta4ぎa4г look at where both companies stand. Pundits have been wondering about who will fill take Jobs&' place for a while now. Theya4ぎa4вe big shoes to fill, with the companya4ぎa4г success in the past decade largely attributed to Jobsa4ぎa4 return, particularly his product perfectionism and the a4ぎAreality distortion fielda4ぎ he creates around the company.
Meanwhile, the current executive lineup doesna4ぎa4д offer many obvious candidates &8212' when Jobs took a leave of absence for health reasons in 2009, chief marketing officer Phil Schiller gave the companya4ぎa4г keynote at the Macworld conference. The verdict Schillera4ぎa4г fine, but hea4ぎa4г no Jobs. And chief operating officer Tim Cook kept the company running during those months, but it wasna4ぎa4д until after Jobsa4ぎa4 return that Apple launched its next major product, the iPad. Jobs was reportedly the key figure leading the iPada4ぎa4г development.
This is one area where Apple may be looking worriedly at Microsoft. When founder Bill Gates stepped down, he was replaced by longtime company executive Steve Ballmer. In the decade since Ballmer took over, Microsoft stock has fallen nearly 50 percent. (Last year, Apple passed Microsoft in market capitalization.) Ia4ぎa4m not saying that Cook or Schiller are just like Ballmer, but therea4ぎa4г clearly a danger in replacing a companya4ぎa4г visionary leader with someone whoa4ぎa4г competent but less inspired.
So where does Facebook come in Well, as of October, Apple had a massive $51 billion stockpile of cash. When asked about what he plans to do with that money, Jobs said, a4ぎAWe strongly believe that one or more very strategic opportunities may come along that wea4ぎa4вe in unique opportunity to take advantage of because of our cash.a4ぎ Which immediately led to speculation about a4ぎAWho is Apple going to buya4ぎ And now, coincidentally, Facebook just raised $500 million at a $50 billion valuation.
Of course, ita4ぎa4г no secret that the big tech players have been interested in Facebook for a while now &8212' but Apple, its profits supercharged by the iPhone, may be the one company that can still afford the deal.
What&'s less certain is whether Facebook &8212' and by Facebook, we really mean Zuckerberg &8212' would be interested. He controls three board seats, and prizes his ability to shape the company&'s direction. Ita4ぎa4г looking increasingly likely that Facebook will hold a public stock offering in 2012.
So what would actually convince him to sell Well, how about the chance to run the combined Apple-Facebook
Aside from the glory of running the most valuable tech company in the world, there&'s the strategic logic. The mobile and social worlds are colliding. Facebook has been trying to figure out how it can thrive in a world where platform makers like Apple and Google increasingly integrate Web services directly into devices. There have been rumors of a so-called &''Facebook phone&'' &8212' but with 60 million monthly users on the iPhone, isn&'t Apple&'s mobile device already the Facebook phone
Zuckerberg is hardly the polished CEO that Jobs has become, but hea4ぎa4г improving. Last year, we looked at the ways that Zuckerberg had come into his own as a CEO. This year, he seems much more comfortable and charming while speaking to the media or in public. And although Apple employs legendarily talented designers, the recent lackluster launch of the companya4ぎa4г music social network Ping suggests that Zuckerberg understands the one key area that Apple is still struggling with &8212' social networking.
We already know that Zuckerberg wants to be the next Steve Jobs. Would he turn down a chance to make that literally true
[Filing spotted via AllThingsDigital]
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Companies: Apple, Facebook
People: Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs
Companies: Apple, Facebook
People: Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs
Anthony is a senior editor at VentureBeat, as well as its reporter on media, advertising, and social networks. Before joining the site in 2008, Anthony worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University and now lives in San Francisco. Reach him at anthony@venturebeat.com. (All story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com) You can also follow Anthony on Twitter.
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