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LeadershipApple

Apple CEO Tim Cook Tells Students: If You Work Only For Money, You Will Never Be Happy

By
Feliz Solomon
Feliz Solomon
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By
Feliz Solomon
Feliz Solomon
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February 10, 2017, 12:51 AM ET

Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook delivered a message Wednesday to students at Scotland’s University of Glasgow, where he was awarded an honorary degree: “Don’t work for money.”

The millionaire tech boss, known for his comfortable yet measured speaking style, warned that being driven by money “will wear out fast, or you’ll never make enough and you will never be happy,” reports CNBC.

“You have to find the intersection of doing something you’re passionate about and at the same time something that is in the service of other people,” Cook said, adding that “if you don’t find that intersection, you’re not going to be very happy in life.”

After the ceremony, Cook joined students for what the university called a “fireside chat.” While encouraging students to find work they love instead of pursuing pure profit, Cook also acknowledged that he had been “fortunate” in landing his career, which last year earned him some $8.5 million, according to CNBC.

During a Q&A session, Cook also reiterated his opposition to President Donald Trump’s immigration policy, the BBC reports. Apple was one of more than 120 tech companies that filed a legal brief condemning Trump’s executive order banning refugees and travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

For more on tech companies opposing Trump’s travel ban, watch Fortune’s video:

Cook reminded the audience that Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, the son of a Syrian immigrant, and said the ban had an immediate effect on international tech firms. A number of Apple employees were initially denied entry to the U.S. when the order, which has been temporarily stayed by a legal battle, was first implemented.

“If we stand and say nothing it’s as if we’re agreeing, that we become a part of it,” the BBC quoted Cook as saying. “It’s important to speak out.”

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By Feliz Solomon
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