Apple fired its vice president of procurement Tony Blevins over a joke he made in a TikTok video that went viral.
Earlier this month, Blevins was interviewed by creator Daniel Mac, who asks people in expensive and luxurious cars what they do for a living. Blevins said: “I race cars and play golf and fondle big-breasted women. But I take weekends and major holidays off.”
His line is a play on the 1981 film “Arthur,” in which Dudley Moore plays a wealthy playboy. When asked what he does for a living, Arthur replies, “I race cars, I play tennis, I fondle women, but I have weekends off and I am my own boss.”
In the video, Blevins did not say he works at Apple, nor did he say his name.
After the video came to the attention of the company, an internal investigation was launched and Blevins was suspended as the head of his team.
The investigation found that his comments angered some employees who claimed that Blevins remarks contradicted Apple’s commitment to women “empowerment and representation.”
A spokesperson for the company said that “Tony is leaving Apple.”
In an interview with Bloomberg, Blevins apologized to “anyone who was offended by my mistaken attempt at humor.”
Blevins’ role at Apple was to negotiate deals with partners and suppliers. During the construction of Apple Park, Blevins reportedly saved the company hundreds of millions.
Apple is strict about what its employees post on social media. Its social media policy states that “we want you to be yourself, but you should also be respectful in posts, tweets, and other online communications.”
