RUMOR: Apple design chief Jony Ive ‘at loggerheads’ with Apple over desire to spend more time in England

“The British designer behind Apple’s iconic iPods, iPads and iPhones is reportedly set to scoop an £18million windfall from shares in the company,” The Daily Mail reports.

“Said to be the result of a 2008 ‘golden handcuffs’ deal which tied him to Apple for three years, the money will propel creator Jonathan Ive into the ranks of The Sunday Times Rich List with a fortune of more than £80million,” The Daily Mail reports. “But despite his Stateside success, the British-born designer is said to be ‘at loggerheads’ with the Apple board over his plans to spend more time back in the UK.”

The Daily Mail reports, “He and wife Heather, who met while they were studying at Newcastle Polytechnic, are said to want to educate their twins in England. A friend of the family told The Sunday Times: ‘Unfortunately he is just too valuable to Apple and they told him in no uncertain terms that if he headed back to England he would not be able to sustain his position with them.'”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: FaceTime.

49 Comments

  1. I agree with twodales, total hokum.

    I actually heard a friend of the family telling a friend of a friend that they were happy in L.A. and wanted to school their children in Compton.

    Will the Daily Mail publish my rumor?

  2. It’s understandable to want your children to have a better education. US system is one of the poorest amongst all industrialized countries. No child left behind results in all children being pushed ahead regardless of academic achievement or learning. DDBAR

    (Dumbed Down Beyond All Recognition)

    1. I have no doubt that Ive and his wife can easily afford a good private school in their area, in which case the quality of education is quite proportionate to the amount of money you spend.

      On the other hand, I can understand if he wanted to preserve their ethnic identity and heritage. American schools, even private ones, tend to powerfully assimilate the children of immigrants into the culture (one of the things that defines America). Immigrant parents aren’t exactly always thrilled by this assimilation force. About the only schools on the US soil where such force isn’t that present are international schools (there are a few in NYC; I don’t know if SF and area have any).

  3. now that it looks like Jobs may not be ceo for long, everyone else under him think they are the cat’s meow and want the spot.

    also Ive was worked hand in hand with jobs. now with him gone it’s not the same for him anymore. this guy doesn’t want to work with or for anyone else. it wouldnt be the same.

    he also has made lots of money, so why not take a early retirement.

    1. I am a graduate of what is considered a very elite private school in one of the New England states.I later graduated from MIT. Oddly enough, many of my former classmates were here from abroad. Given that I have also spent an extensive amount of time in the UK and have friends who send their children to school in the UK and in the US, they have found there are many schools in the US superior. If the concern is over developing a Yankee accent, I suggest Jonathan develop a proper British one. Education begins in the home.

      1. I don’t think Ive is concerned so much about the quality of US education. He can clearly afford better than whatever public education has to offer, and even public education varies greatly by quality and with some proper research, he could easily find an excellent school not far from Cupertino.

        It is probably more likely that he is just weary of the powerful cultural assimilation that happens to immigrants’ children in American schools. This is something that most immigrants try to avoid as much as they can, and something that is usually rather difficult to prevent.

  4. “FaceTime”

    You’re kidding right? This is where Ives gives Jobs a FaceTime call and says, “I quit”?

    Here’s a resume: “I designed the f*cking iPod. Ever heard of it?” He can work at any company he wants in the world, for any money he wants.

    This, besides Jobs, is the most important man at Apple right now, and while he is being paid very well (for basically designing a generation of tech products, and astounding accomplishment) he also need to be accomodated. You can’t strong arm the guy, because he has OPTIONSSSSSSSS.

      1. Maybe it’s not about the money. He might just want his children to have British culture and values. He should get them out before it’s too late. The Public School system in England is well suited to parents on foreign expeditions. Maybe he could visit on school holidays.

  5. Assuming for a moment that this report is true, Apple needs to do whatever necessary to keep Ive on board. Others may direct the concepts, but it has been Ive who has executed the iconic designs. He has earned the reward of working from any damn place he wants to. In a split, it is Apple that will lose.

  6. So now the media mischief makers are putting vital Apple personnel “at loggerheads” with the company. What next, a reported fist fight between Cook and someone else over who gets to use the executive washroom?

    1. I’m not saying the report is true or false, but seriously, how do you know? Maybe Jony would like to return to his roots to raise his kids.. He is worth 130 million, maybe he’s planning to retire..

      Are you just guessing, or do you have some inside knowledge?

  7. ‘Unfortunately he is just too valuable to Apple and they told him in no uncertain terms that if he headed back to England he would not be able to sustain his position with them.’

    See, this makes NO sense… surely if he was that valuable to them they would make allowances for him more UK time in order to KEEP him rather then letting some other company headhunt him…. I call BS!

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