Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe by Niall Ferguson review
(Evening Standard) – From plagues and volcanic eruptions to the current Covid pandemic, mankind has always been faced with catastrophes.
Thought Leader: Niall Ferguson
Patrick McGee: Tim Cook’s Blind Spot
Patrick McGee, author of Apple in China: The Capture of the World’s Greatest Company, joins Molly O’Shea to unpack his latest bestseller. McGee explains how Apple, once days away from bankruptcy, was saved by Tim Cook’s decision to move manufacturing to China. Tim Cook’s nearly trillion-dollar bet created the most advanced supply chain in history — and left Apple geopolitically captured. From Foxconn’s factory floors to Beijing’s political leverage, McGee shares how Apple’s growth empowered China’s rise as a global tech superpower.
Putting numbers behind it, Tim Cook, had pledged $275 billion in new investment to China — more than the U.S. CHIPS Act and equal to two Marshall Plans. Since the launch of the iPhone, Apple’s cumulative investment in China is estimated at over $800 billion. To sustain this scale, Apple engineers trained millions of Chinese workers and thousands of suppliers, building the very ecosystem that now powers Huawei, Xiaomi, and other rivals. Despite Apple’s iconic status, the iPhone has never commanded more than 20% of global market share, while Chinese competitors, leveraging the supply chains Apple helped create, now control more than 55%.
McGee argues that Apple isn’t exploiting China — it’s China exploiting Apple. With a labor pool of 350 million floating workers, harsh conditions inside Foxconn factories, and unyielding pressure, Apple has been locked into an environment it cannot escape. Tim Cook’s operational brilliance may have rescued Apple from bankruptcy, but it also created a supply chain that China now firmly controls.
Patrick McGee is a compelling keynote speaker, bringing over a decade of global journalism experience from the Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal. His award-winning reporting on Apple, electric vehicles, and emerging technologies offers audiences unparalleled insights into the forces shaping our digital future. As the author of Apple in China, he delivers a deeply researched, behind-the-scenes look at how the world’s most valuable company became entwined with America’s biggest rival. With his engaging storytelling and sharp analysis, Patrick McGee provides event attendees with thought-provoking perspectives on technology, business, and global markets. To host him for a speaking engagement, contact WWSG.
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