NewImageJohn Browett, Apple's retail vice president, has received the first vestment from his signing bonus of 100,000 restricted stock units (RSUs) according to a filing with the SEC. He was granted the first batch of 5,000 shares today with 2,159 shares being sold for tax withholding purposes.

Unlike options, restricted stock units do not require the recipient to purchase stock at an exercise price in order to receive the shares. The RSUs simply convert to actual shares on the vesting dates, although there are tax implications to the conversion that generally result in recipients immediately selling off at least some portion of their grants as they vest.

After withholding, Browett owns 2,841 shares of AAPL stock worth $1.74 million at current prices. He is due 95,000 more shares of stock worth some $58 million over the next 5 years, assuming continued employment.

The stock grants are bound to be controversial given the perceived missteps that Browett has made with Apple retail recently, with rumors of hour cutbacks and layoffs as well as an ongoing shift in Apple's retail store strategy to focus on profits rather than customer service.

Top Rated Comments

Schtumple Avatar
158 months ago
I cannot express how much I hate that this guy still has a job at Apple. Or any job for that matter, his overly simplistic business ideas are the epitome of upper management who have no idea how retail actually works.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiRez Avatar
158 months ago
Sorry, but the guy even looks like a douchebag. And from a business perspective, he seems like the most un-Apple-like guy they could have hired. As a shareholder, I'm not happy about it.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TMar Avatar
158 months ago
The really sad part is Apple believes any of these guys to be worth that kind of money.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Quu Avatar
158 months ago
I too am not happy with this guys profit centric approach to retail. Apple already makes more money per square foot of their retail stores than any other in the world, there should be little for him to do but sit back and think of new ways their stores can provide more services (in the same vain of the genius bars).

I hate this guy.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Schtumple Avatar
158 months ago
I just can't help but think that all this fear-mongering bullcrap going around about this guy is simply the typical fear-mongering bullcrap that runs deep within Apple subjects from "fanboys" and vitriolic haters alike.

WHAT could he have POSSIBLY done in such a short time that deserves any criticism or praise for that matter? All the stuff that people say that "sucks" about him are the same things they said before he even took the spot! Let him prove himself to be good or crap before running around with hypotheticals and trying to pass them off as facts!

What FACTS, backed by PROOF do any of you have that he's changed Apple's retail strategy at all? And please don't quote rumors. Things that have ACTUALLY BEEN IMPLEMENTED? And please don't point to "This one time at an Apple Store I had worse customer service than the time before it" or anything non sequitur like that. I'm genuinely curious myself.
He destroyed PC World, Dixons and Curries customer service in the UK. Destroyed. They went from being companies that had acceptable support to just downright awful over a very short period of time. I've seen his changes happen over time, it killed the companies retail presence, in a time when online is consistently winning price, people expect that by going to a store, what they're paying for is the customer support in store, if you remove that, you might as well go online. That is why his plans are flawed.


You mean you don't want to make a profit in retail? Must have missed that lecture in school.
See the above. Obsessing over profits isn't a good thing, you need a balance.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Macist Avatar
158 months ago


Yet for years high salaries were to be admired and aimed for. We all wanted to be that good.
For years average salary to CEO salary ratios were nowhere near as extreme as they are today. In mid-60s America, CEO salaries were a hefty 18 times higher than the average. Now they are 237 times higher and at some of the biggest companies far higher than this.

Of course, in the 1960s there were huge problems as CEOs had to be dragged from bed each morning kicking and screaming, forced to work for such meagre gruel like a slave.

'How can I work for the pay of a mere 18 average men?' they would say.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...
apple card feature2

Apple Card 3% Daily Cash Back Now Available From Two More Apple Partners

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:36 am PST by
Apple has partnered with select merchants to offer Apple Card users three percent Daily Cash back on their purchases, and two new companies were added to the partner list today. When purchasing goods and services from Booking.com and ChargePoint, Apple Card users will now get more cash back. Booking.com is a site for reserving flights, cars, cruises, and hotels, while ChargePoint sells...