Published , by Morgan Shaver
Published , by Morgan Shaver
Apple’s Vice President of Procurement, Tony Blevins, is stepping down from his role following backlash over a recent viral TikTok video that he appears in. In the video from @itsdanielmac, which has been viewed over 1.3 million times, Blevins is asked about what he does for a living.
While attempting to exit his expensive Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (valued at over $500k), Blevins jokingly replies, “I have rich cars, play golf, and fondle big-breasted women” before saying “but I take weekends and major holidays off.” The videographer then mentions that he’s “looking to get into that” himself, to which Blevins remarks, “Well, if you’re interested, I’ve got a hell of a dental plan.”
As noted by outlets like CNBC, Blevins’ joking remarks are seemingly in reference to a similar quote from the 1981 movie, Arthur. In terms of what Blevins did while at the company, according to a Wall Street Journal profile on Blevins from 2020, it’s noted that his main role at Apple centered around negotiating with suppliers to keep the price Apple pays for its computer parts down, and that he even earned the nickname “The Blevinator” due to his firm stance on price negotiations.
@itsdanielmac Quite the occupation this man has ✍️ #mercedesbenz #supercarstiktok #slr #car ♬ original sound - DANIEL MAC
Given how quickly the video has spread, and the degree of backlash it’s garnered, it’s not altogether surprising to learn that Apple reportedly conducted an internal investigation into the matter. Following this, and Blevins’ exit from the company, it’s said that Apple Senior VP of Operations, Jeff Williams, will be overseeing Blevins’ team in the interim.
In speaking with Bloomberg following the TikTok video incident, Blevins offered the following apology: “I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to anyone who was offended by my mistaken attempt at humor.”
For more on the matter, you can view the TikTok video on the channel for @itsdanielmac and can brush up on the aftermath in coverage from outlets like CNBC and Bloomberg. For more on Apple in general, be sure to read through some of our previous coverage as well including Apple reportedly paring back iPhone production plans as demand slows, and the Apple App Store rules imposing a 30 percent commission on in-app NFT trades.