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A peek inside Apple’s shareholders meeting

By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
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By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 25, 2009, 1:58 PM ET

The press was barred from bringing laptops, iPhones or any other communication devices into the Apple (AAPL) shareholders meeting that began at 1 p.m. EST (10 a.m. PST) Wednesday — much to the chagrin of CNBC’s Jim Goldman, who had advertised his plans to live blog it.

But at least a couple members of Investor Village’s AAPL Sanity board (registration required) seem to have made it in with wireless handhelds and have been posting what appear to be dispatches from inside Apple’s Town Hall meeting room.

Cheddarmuff and idannyb’s reports are pasted below the fold.

Here’s what they filed (all times EST):

12:04 Cheddarmuff: Just waiting to go in to the meeting. Hanging out with idannyb in the hall. Another solid apple shareholder.

No sign of Goldman yet… more to come later.

12:21 idannyb: Cheddarmuff and I are in the meeting now … Music playing and shareholders filing in. Reuters cornered us to ask a few questions. Apple rep tried to give the reporter the bums rush.

12:46 Cheddarmuff: They separated the media from the shareholders. Not sure who we will and won’t see at this point.

Agenda

1 welcome and intro’s

2 admin (quorum, etc)

3 present board nominees

4 stmts to shareholders and presentation of shareholder proposals

5 other

6 vote

7 q and a

Mgmt team just came in. Phil, johnny, tim

Gore is here.

12:51 Cheddarmuff: Andrea Jung from Avon is here

Looks like most of the mgmt team is here (no Steve of course).

About to begin.

12:54 idannyb: The BOD have taken seats

Gore and Andre Jung (Avon) + full Apple ex mgmt team (sans SJ) -TC, PO, jonny Ive, Ron J., Phil S.

TC….

Starting intros

12:54 Cheddarmuff: Tim talking

Dan cooperman general counsel.

Whole board is here. Tim said no jobs due to medical leave.

1:05 Cheddarmuff:  “I am not a crook ” Shelton is not a fan of al gore. Already some drama and comedy (cracking jokes about this being like the academy awards…board election)

1:08 idannyb: Environmental activist now railing about Apple environmental sustainability. Calling out Gore

1:10 Cheddarmuff: Talking about political spending proposal. UAW rep talking

Hp, dell are better than apple at disclosing information.

1:21 Cheddarmuff: Starting to interesting…I like Sheldon, keeps it interesting. Just called the people proposing socialists.

Now talking about climate change.

There was one attempt to talk about jobs health that was shot down quick. Bet there will be more in the Q&A

1:23 idannyb: AFLCIO made a speech on universal health care … Tried to bring up SJ health. Cooperman cut him off

Another shareholder railed over “socialist” AFLCIO… Used profanity and then left the mtg.

Another environment activist took tv mike blasted Gore… Wants AAPL to get greener

1:32 Cheddarmuff: About to move toward q and a. Should be interesting.

1:40 idannyb: Proxy stuff over

TC PO and DC now on stage

Apple has increase rev 4xs in 4 yrs

Mac and iPod share growing

iPhone 13.7 million iphone’s in 2008

Macbooks very green

iPhone in 70 countries

App Store success is staggering

Retail opened a store per week

Best experience

Top notebook provider to education in US

T Cook is on a roll!

1:44 idannyb: AFLCIO hitting hard on SJ health

We have met all disclosure

Arthur levinsom responding…jobs still involved. Succession plan has regularly discussed. No disclosure about health or plan.

[1:51 Reuters is reporting that the shareholders voted to re-elect the company’s slate of directors and voted down several shareholder-sponsored resolutions regarding executive pay, sustainability and healthcare reform. (link)]

1:52 Cheddarmuff: Next person asking why there isn’t more diversity in exec team.

Tim- we take diversity very seriously.

Tim- I have very fond memories of Macworld. Where we are now with retail investment blows macworld out of the water. Also we can announce press conferences whenever we want now which is better for the company.

1:57 idannyb: TC responding to “keep macworld” speech… Spoke eloquently about Apple stores, Apple reaching so many customer and platform build of iphone and app store

1:59 idannyb: Far more responses being delivered by BOD members

No core shareholder vaule Qs

2:22 Cheddarmuff: Meeting over. I got to talk with Tim Cook after the meeting…a very nice guy. We overheard a discussion with Peter as well.

# # #

About the Author
By Philip Elmer-DeWitt
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