Apple Donates $10 Million to 'One World: Together At Home' Special to Support WHO's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund

by

Lady Gaga has teamed up with the World Health Organization and Global Citizen for a "One World: Together At Home" special to raise money to battle the ongoing pandemic, and Apple is donating money to the cause.


Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the donation in a video shared on the YouTube channel for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Lady Gaga called Apple's $10 million donation "quite sizable."

In the video, Jimmy Fallon and Lady Gaga FaceTime Cook, who confirms Apple's plans to donate to the initiative. According to Gaga, more than $35 million has already been raised by tech companies ahead of the special.

"One World: Together at Home" is set to air on Saturday, April 18 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time/8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. It will be available on major cable networks and it will be live streamed by Apple, Amazon, FaceBook, YouTube, and more. Funds raised both ahead of and during the event will support the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

The event will feature appearances and musical performances from Alanis Morissette, Andrea Bocelli, Billie Eilish, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Burna Boy, Chris Martin, David Beckham, Eddie Vedder, Elton John, FINNEAS, Idris and Sabrina Elba, J Balvin, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Kerry Washington, Lang Lang, Lizzo, Maluma, Paul McCartney, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan, and Stevie Wonder.

Apple has also sourced and donated over 20 million N95 masks to healthcare professionals, and its design, engineering, operations, and packaging teams are working to design, produce, and ship millions of face shields to medical workers.

Popular Stories

m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
Read Full Article • 163 comments
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
Read Full Article • 68 comments
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday November 10, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display. Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will...
Read Full Article • 45 comments
iphone pocket%402x

Apple Debuts iPhone Pocket, a Limited Edition iPod Sock-Style Accessory

Tuesday November 11, 2025 1:23 am PST by
Apple has teamed up with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE to launch iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other everyday items. The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, not unlike an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile that fully encloses an iPhone yet allows you to glimpse the display...
Read Full Article • 266 comments
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...
Read Full Article • 555 comments
homepod mini colors

New HomePod Mini Coming Soon With These Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 7:30 am PST by
Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting. The second-generation HomePod mini is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely ...
Read Full Article • 115 comments
Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
Read Full Article • 5 comments
Apple fitness plus feature

Future of Apple Fitness+ 'Under Review'

Sunday November 9, 2025 5:30 am PST by
The future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review" amid a reorganization of the service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ remains one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue. Nevertheless, Fitness+ has a small, loyal fanbase that...
Read Full Article • 221 comments
iphone black friday gold

The Best Early Black Friday iPhone Deals

Monday November 10, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
Read Full Article • 5 comments
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
Read Full Article • 73 comments

Top Rated Comments

AgentOSX Avatar
AgentOSX
73 months ago
WAIT... WHAT?

They are going to donate to WHO? The same WHO who until January 27th told us that COVID-19 wasn't very communicable and that flight and border monitoring and restrictions are not necessary? The same WHO who parroted and spread false information from the origin country for two months?

Sorry, but most of the reason this bug spread to Italy, Spain, German, Iran the US... the rest of the world... is because WHO was completely incompetent.

They do not deserve any money or attention. They should be disbanded and tossed on the rubbish heap of history along with Yamamoto, Chamberlain and Gavrilo Princip.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iRutherford Avatar
iRutherford
73 months ago
I don't wanna be negative, but COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund? What do they do with it?

I hope it's not just one of those questionable Lady Gaga partnerships/donation drives designed to raise money to make people feel better (e.g. her Born This Way Foundation who chalked up millions of the money they raised as "administrative costs" and only spent $5,000 on actual charity ('https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/mar/14/lady-gaga-denies-born-this-way-foundation-funds')) instead of actually helping them.

Apple, as usual, is generous when it comes to social causes, but I hope they didn't blow money on a yet another "YAAAASSSS KWEEN!!!!!111 SLAY!" Lady Gaga scam.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iRutherford Avatar
iRutherford
73 months ago

Making people feel better is not helping people nowadays? Do you know how many people, especially young LGBTQ youths, don't have access to mental health professionals?

Through the BTW Foundation many got help. Not every charity has to be about giving money or food to the needy. Some need psychological support and that can save lives, literally.

Anyway, good on Gaga for asking money from corporations instead of people who are already hit by this virus and the recession.
Except she didn't even do that. Here's the breakdown of the expenses of her Born This Way "Foundation".

Money raised: $2.1 million in net assets + $2.6 million in donations

Expenses:

* $5,000 in charity work and grants to individuals and organizations
* $348,000 on an outreach bus
* $300,000 in strategic consulting (web design)
* $50,000 in social media
* $62,836 on stage productions
* $50,000 on event coordination
* $406,552 in legal fees
* $150,000 in "philanthropic consulting", whatever that is
* $58,768 in publicity fees
* $60,000 in research
* $78,000 in travel
* $72,000 in salaries
* $10,000 in other foundation expenses
* $808,661 in others - unspecified

This led to a reporter questioning where the money went. Roger Friedman said, "It’s unclear that anyone was really helped by the Born this Way Foundation other than lawyers, consultants, publicists and travel agents." (Source ('https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/mar/14/lady-gaga-denies-born-this-way-foundation-funds'), Source 2 ('https://www.celebitchy.com/355142/lady_gagas_born_this_way_foundation_wasted_15_million_is_it_fraud/'))

When Gaga was "raising awareness" in a bus during this Born This Way "Foundation" thing, she was already on tour, so there's literally nothing they needed to spend on this other than time, and maybe speeches. It's a scam.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nfl46 Avatar
nfl46
73 months ago
Wow. That’s pretty amazing! Much respect to her for putting this all together, and thank you to Apple for a VERY generous donation!

They may end up raising nearly 100 million (I’m guessing) after the show airs on April 18th.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
timber Avatar
timber
73 months ago
Yesterday my hometown received a 5 millon dollar donation in kind (ventilators, masks, suits, the works) from a single individual (a Taiwanese business woman, Ming Chu Hsu)
It wasn't even on the news until the cargo had arrived and was being unloaded on the tarmac (something not to be discounted on the current times)
Apple could do more.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Agent OrangeZ Avatar
Agent OrangeZ
73 months ago

I’m sure I’m gonna be raked over the coals for this, but Apple has hundreds of billions of dollars in cash. They won’t even notice that this money is gone.

To those whom much has been given, much is expected. This isn’t much.
There is it is. The person that says $___ Million isn't enough. When in reality any "million" is far more than most people can do... and it is substantial.

Also... though... not to completely trash their intentions.... but in addition to the help the money goes to... this appearance with Fallon and Gaga is the best damned iPhone commercial Apple could ever do. They just showed two stars use Facetime to video chat with Apple's CEO. That is going to make all sorts of people feel warm and fuzzy about the iPhone... in a time for social distancing and on the (damn near) eve of the new $399 iPhone. WIN WIN for Apple.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments