A pair of filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reveal that Apple executive Scott Fortsall and board member Mickey Drexler each sold off tens of thousands of shares of Apple stock on Friday, netting millions of dollars each.

forstallForstall, who serves as senior vice president of iOS Software and has been a fixture in Apple's keynote presentations and media events, sold off 64,151 shares of Apple stock on Friday, netting roughly $38.7 million. Forstall gained 120,000 shares of Apple stock last month as a 2008 retention bonus of restricted stock units converted to actual stock. 55,849 shares were immediately sold off at that time to account for the taxes due on the conversion, and Forstall held on to the remaining shares until last Friday.

Following Friday's transaction, Forstall holds 2,988 shares of Apple stock, worth roughly $1.75 million at today's share price and the same number of shares he held prior to last month's vesting of his 2008 retention bonus. Forstall is also in line to receive a number of other stock grants should he remain with the company over the next several years, including a 150,000-unit grant that will vest in equal portions next year and in 2016. A separate grant of 100,000 units will vest in 2014.

Meanwhile, longtime Apple board member Mickey Drexler, who serves as Chairman and CEO of J. Crew and was previously President and CEO of The Gap, has cashed in on stock options dating back nearly a decade in order to reap a substantial windfall.

Drexler exercised a set of 20,000 options from 2003 priced at $9.16 each and a second set of 20,000 options from 2004 priced at $14.205 each, selling off all 40,000 shares on Friday for $24.1 million. After accounting for the exercise prices on the options, Drexler netted close to $23.7 million. Drexler continues to hold 584 shares of Apple stock worth roughly $384,000 at today's share price.

Top Rated Comments

vrDrew Avatar
172 months ago

Side question: When this many shares are sold, is this when Apple use some of its cash to buy back shares in order to keep the price from dropping? So Apple coordinates with the employee to prevent the price from dipping?

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has an average daily volume of more than 24 million shares traded. Drexler and Forstall together sold about 100,000 shares, or less than half a percent of the average daily "float." Its possible - but unlikely - that this many shares might exert some downward market pressure.

For obvious reasons, executives exercising options use some discretion in timing their transactions. They want to get the best price possible (consistent with their obligations under Securities law) so they typically schedule their options exercises so as not to coincide with significant company announcements.

Final note: Board Member Mickey Drexler exercised options issued in 2003 and 2004, with prices of $9.16 and $14 per share. Apple will be able to deduct from its US corporate taxes the difference between the option price and the sales price. Obviously an additional 40,000 shares publicly traded will have a certain dilution effect, but one certainly wonders if this is a great as the benefit the company will reap from a $23 million non-cash tax deduction. On the other hand, the US Treasury will benefit from the personal income taxes Forstall and Drexler will pay on their sale, which will likely be at the long-term capital gains rate of 15% - or considerably less than a Taco Bell manager would pay on a $5,000 bonus on top of his $55,000 annual salary. Something ain't right with the US tax code.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
firewood Avatar
172 months ago
greed
So I suppose if your employer gave you this big a bonus, you would give it all to charity? Did you give 99% of your income to charity last year as well? Good for you!

Pro tip: ... ain't using his $38 million to create jobs. I can guarantee you that.
Really? That's what they said about all the millionaire's buying yachts a few years back. So they taxed them big. The next year, thousands of blue collar boat builders in the U.S. lost their jobs... jobs that you say nobody is creating.

Rumor is that there are thousands of out-of-work construction workers, interior decorators, and etc. just waiting for a mini building boom after the post facebook IPO waiting period.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rocketman Avatar
172 months ago
55,849 / 120,000 = 46.5% paid in taxes.

"Restricted stock and RSUs are taxed differently than other kinds of stock options, such as statutory or nonstatutory employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs). Those plans generally have tax consequences at the date of exercise or sale, whereas restricted stock usually becomes taxable upon the completion of the vesting schedule. Restricted stock plans are not eligible for capital gains treatment, and the entire amount of the vested stock must be counted as ordinary income in the year of vesting."

Do your homework before you claim "greed", and how his "effective tax rate is so low".

Even if it *had* only been 15% he would have paid more in taxes *in one year* than you will probably make in your lifetime.
I was going to post about that too. It looks like it is taxed as ordinary income, not long term capital gains. That's some bad tax planning. He probably should have put it in his IRA/WBP over the years to at least defer the taxes.

So Apple was taxed on it, gave it to Scott, then he was taxed on it again. When the government gets 25/42 that means the owners only get .75x.68 or 51% . It is bad social policy to give the government 50% of the fruits of people's labor. It destroys capital that would otherwise go into expanding jobs either with direct investment or through savings which banks leverage into business loans and mortgage loans of benefit to real people in their real lives.

Rocketman
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
econgeek Avatar
172 months ago
The reason for selling, and for selling all of what just vested, is because they need to diversify. All their net worth (and their employer) is Apple.

If you have 400,000 shares still vesting, no reason not to sell the 100,000 that just vested-- you still have 400,000.

As for what apple's going to do-- I expect it will go down. It might visit $550, or $500, or maybe $450. But that's the short term.

If you're an investor, you should be more concerned about what apple will be like in a year or three.... and in three years I expect Apple will be over $2,200 a share.

No Joke.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
applefanDrew Avatar
172 months ago
I wonder what it's like to go home, in one day, with $38.1 million. I'll never know…
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kenfused Avatar
172 months ago
They are required to date transactions months in advance or longer, so they cannot be accused of insider trading or dumping the stock before bad news. This is common practice.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...