Apple CEO Tim Cook Auctions Charity Lunch at Apple Park - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple CEO Tim Cook Auctions Charity Lunch at Apple Park

Apple CEO Tim Cook is partnering up with Charitybuzz for the fifth year in a row, offering Apple fans the chance to bid on a lunch with Cook where they can hold a discussion with the CEO in a private environment. Additionally, this year the meet-up will be hosted at Apple's brand new Apple Park campus.

Like previous years, the winning bidder will be able to bring along one other person, and the lunch is said to last for around an hour. The cost of the Apple Park meal is included in the winning bid, but travel and accommodations are not. The bidding ends on May 16 at 3PM EDT and as of writing one bid of $10,000 has been entered, with the auction listing an estimated value of $100,000.

tim cook lunch 3
Over the past four years, Tim Cook and Charitybuzz have raised $610,000 (2013), $330,001 (2014), $200,000 (2015), and $515,000 (2016). This year will mark the first year that the winning bidder attends the lunch at Apple Park, which a small number of employees are believed to have moved into in April while construction remains ongoing.

Proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, which aims to achieve a just and peaceful world by advancing corporate responsibility, teaching social justice, and partnering with human rights leaders. Cook joined the RFK Center's board of directors last year after being a longtime supporter and proponent of the charity.

Popular Stories

Siri AI

Tim Cook Holds 'Constructive' Talks With EU Over Siri AI Launch

Wednesday July 1, 2026 4:49 am PDT by
Apple CEO Tim Cook held "constructive" talks with EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen on Tuesday about releasing Siri AI in the bloc while complying with the bloc's digital rules, reports the Financial Times ($). An EU spokesperson told the publication the virtual meeting had involved a "constructive exchange on topics of common interest, on which the work continues." Siri AI will be available...
tim cook john ternus apple ceo

Tim Cook and John Ternus Attend Sun Valley Conference Together

Wednesday July 8, 2026 6:07 am PDT by
Apple CEO Tim Cook and incoming CEO John Ternus are attending this year's Sun Valley Conference, according to Forbes. Allen & Co., the boutique investment firm behind the event, uses the conference as an annual excuse to put media, tech, and finance leaders in the same rooms for a week of closed-door talks at the Sun Valley Lodge. This year's event began on July 7 and is expected to run...
iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 12 New Features

Friday July 17, 2026 10:39 am PDT by
It is now mid-July, and that means the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are now just two months away. The devices are expected to look similar to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but there will still be many year-over-year changes, with rumored features including a smaller Dynamic Island, 5G via satellite, and more. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, ...

Top Rated Comments

120 months ago
If I was TIM COOK I would just out bid everyone and then have a quiet lunch :)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
120 months ago
All the questions I'd ask him he couldn't answer so we'd talk about the weather I guess. Still, good that it's benefiting a nice charity.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
120 months ago
Really, while I am sure the auction will raise a lot of money, the assumption this experience is worth $100,000 just shows how completely out of touch with reality these CEO's and companies are these days.

Just put on the auction, but get rid of the arrogance of assuming some ridiculous value for this experience. Better yet, just donate 1 billion to charity considering Apple is sitting on $250 billion in cash reserves.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
120 months ago
Paying to eat with a man with no brain.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
busyscott Avatar
120 months ago
Me: "...what do you have for $10?"
Auctioneer: "I have these two lovely $5 bills."
Me: "...I will give you one dollar for them."
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
guzhogi Avatar
120 months ago
It's not like Apple could afford charitable donations with its mythical cash reserves. </irony>
Who says they don't? You don't have to publicize that you donated to charity.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)