At BetaNews, Robert X. Cringely writes:
But most importantly for those who are still looking for a headline, Apple will in 2019 greatly expand its profile in the finance industry. Tim Cook has already started in 2019 along the same path forged by GE’s Jack Welch back in 1981.
This strategic shift started to show just this week with Apple directly financing iPhone sales in China and announcing an Apple credit card with Goldman Sachs.
The theme here is wiser utilization of all that cash to make more cash. That’s what Big Companies do and what Apple seems poised to do now.
Check It Out: Apple Cash Holdings Could Lead to Emulating General Electric
Jack Welsh was a unique CEO that managed to convince the investing world that his GE was always growing and #1. GE Capital was a great moneymaker for a while. It became a huge money loser, and without Jack Welsh, GE slid into oblivion. Apple, please don’t emulate GE.
I’m fine with Apple managing its finances well, but the reason why Apple is valuable in the first place is because it makes useful products (iPhones, iPads, Macs, etc.) and provides some useful services (e.g. iTunes store, Apple Music, App store, iCloud, Apple Pay, etc..)