In 2019, a report from Apple revealed that the tech giant spent $457,083 on Tim Cook’s security, a 104% increase from the $310,000 spent in 2018. Compared to other major names in Silicon Valley and considering Apple’s position, this amount is quite modest.
In a side note, Tim Cook’s travel expenses increased by 239% from last year, reaching $315,311; this spike is likely due to his business trips aiming to help Apple avoid strong impacts from the US-China trade war.
Dara Khosrowshahi: $596,554
According to a report released by Uber in March this year, the costs for securing Khosrowshahi’s business and personal security amounted to $596,554. This figure is much lower than in 2018, when the report stated that security costs for the CEO reached $2 million.
Sundar Pichai: $1.2 million
In 2017, Google allocated approximately $680,000 to find ways to protect CEO Pichai. By 2018, that amount had risen to $1.2 million.
The reason is this: a few months prior, an extremist individual carried out a shooting at the YouTube campus in San Bruno, injuring three employees. Following the incident, YouTube announced it would enhance security in all aspects.
A spokesperson for Google also added that spending more to protect Sundar Pichai has become a trend; security costs for CEO Pichai had also doubled from 2016 to 2017.
Jeff Bezos: $1.6 million
The richest man in the world is not necessarily the highest spender on security, or at least the figures on paper do not indicate that. Despite Jeff Bezos’s wealth continuing to grow, reports from Forbes indicate that his security costs have remained unchanged since 2012. However, an Amazon spokesperson stated that Bezos personally pays for his security services.
According to information published by The Daily Beast, Jeff Bezos’s office is surrounded by bulletproof glass. These glass panels cost $180,000 and can withstand standard military automatic weapon fire.
There’s another detail showing that Jeff Bezos does not hesitate to spend money for security purposes: upon discovering that his smartphone had been hacked, he sent a blank check to his head of personal security, demanding to uncover the truth at any cost.
Sheryl Sandberg: $4.3 million
The cost of ensuring Ms. Sandberg’s safety increased by 168% from 2018 to 2019, rising from $2.9 million to $4.3 million.
Mark Zuckerberg: $23 million
After the 2018 user data leak scandal, Zuckerberg’s security costs skyrocketed. In 2018, Facebook spent $10 million to keep its founder safe, an increase of $2.5 million from the previous year. Additionally, Mark Zuckerberg received $10 million to safeguard himself and his family.
Zuckerberg is protected 24/7 by armed guards. His home even has a shelter in case of emergencies. There are rumors within the Facebook employee community that in the offices of Mark Zuckerberg and other key Facebook figures, there are escape tunnels for emergencies.
Facebook declined to comment on this detail.
Elon Musk: Unknown
It is undeniable that Elon Musk is a strong personality, often dividing the internet community into two halves, one side fiercely supportive and the other critical. However, the security costs for this controversial billionaire have not been disclosed. Tesla declined to comment on the matter.
The only time we heard Elon Musk talk about security was when he joked about The Boring Company’s tunnel project to avoid traffic. He mentioned that he was building a lookout post using dirt he had just excavated and needed someone to stand on top, making fun of everyone passing by in a French accent. Elon Musk wanted to reach that legendary funny clip.
Source: Business Insider