Tim Cook Makes Shortlist for TIME's 2012 Person of the Year

Tuesday December 18, 2012 2:07 pm PST by Juli Clover

TIME today unveiled its shortlist of people who are being considered for TIME's annual Person of the Year Award. Apple CEO Tim Cook is on the list, as well as Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer.

The Person of the Year award is given to "a person, couple, group, idea, place, or machine" that has "for better or for worse done the most to influence the events of the year." TIME's editorial team decides the winner.

The two tech CEOs join notable figures like Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani activist who suffered a head wound after being shot by the Taliban, United States President Barack Obama, Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and the three scientists behind the discovery of the Higgs Boson.

In 2011, Steve Jobs was posthumously nominated for TIME's Person of the Year by NBC Nightly News Anchor Brian Williams, but he did not win. He also did not make it to the final shortlist. This year, Cook has worked to bring some production of Apple products back to the United States, and to improve working conditions for factory employees. He also stepped up to accept responsibility for Apple's Maps failure and restructured Apple's management.

The Protestor, a group choice inspired by Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian fruit vendor who famously set himself on fire in a public square, received the award in 2011, while Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg won in 2010.

TIME's 2012 winner for Person of the Year will be announced tomorrow morning.

Top Rated Comments

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aerok

22 weeks ago

I wish they didn't nominate any CEOs in the list... It should be reserved to actual heroes of the world that actually thrived to make changes to help humanity without any profit-driven intent.

Rating: 23 Positives

samcraig

22 weeks ago

Sorry - Tim Cook is arguably a great business man - but he's no Time Person of the Year.

Rating: 13 Positives

LagunaSol

22 weeks ago

I think Cook is doing a great job, but Person of the Year seems premature. Much like Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize his first year in office. :rolleyes:

And why in the world would Bill Clinton even be on the consideration list???

Rating: 11 Positives

mantan

22 weeks ago

Let me get this straight, the article is giving him credit for bringing 200 jobs to the US, encouraging FoxConn to be just a semi-sweat shop instead of full sweat shop and apologizing for the Maps Fiasco and that's worth 'Person of the Year'???

That's flat out laughable.

Rating: 8 Positives

Patriot24

22 weeks ago

If this award was handed-out by looking at the top Google search terms for the year, Kate Middleton would have easily won.

TIME's "Person of the Year" is really "The USA's Person of the Year", and even that is debatable.

I like Tim, but he's not curing cancer. Methinks we should look elsewhere for our heroes.

Rating: 7 Positives

aerok

22 weeks ago

I wonder what the criteria is for "Person of the Year."

Famous for anything apparently

Rating: 5 Positives

dweezle3

22 weeks ago

In all seriousness though, I don't think Tim has made the jump to the style of management required to put out the world changing products like Steve did. Granted, he's done a great job with what disasters he's had to deal with so far, but hasn't made any unexpected or earth shattering contributions yet. Here's hoping for 2013.

Rating: 4 Positives

Krizoitz

22 weeks ago

I wish they didn't nominate any CEOs in the list... It should be reserved to actual heroes of the world that actually thrived to make changes to help humanity without any profit-driven intent.

This is not an award or honor. It is not meant to be given to someone for being a hero. The Time Person of the Year is given to the person (or persons) who most influenced events. Past winners have included Hitler and Stalin.and the Ayatollah Khomeini.

Cook and Apple have been significantly impactful and his consideration is fair, although I don't think he should/will win.

Rating: 4 Positives