Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt Resigned From Apple’s Board Of Directors 15 Years Ago Today; Steve Jobs Earlier Said That His Insights Will Be Invaluable

It might be hard to comprehend that the then-CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, served as one of Apple’s board members. However, his tenure was cut short abruptly on August 3, exactly 15 years ago, when he resigned from his position, as there were growing tensions caused by iOS and Google’s Android platform. Schmidt departed two years after Steve Jobs officially unveiled Apple’s first-ever iPhone.

It was not possible for Eric Schmidt to stay around as one of Apple’s board members, especially when Google’s Android platform was competing with iOS

Prior to his appointment, Jobs had the utmost respect for Eric Schmidt, believing his insights to be valuable, as his experience will guide Apple in the years to come. Schmidt became one of the technology giant’s board members on August 29, 2006, which was before the first iPhone materialized. However, seeing how Google’s mobile operating system, Android, was gaining traction and eating into iOS’ market share, it was difficult for Schmidt to divide loyalties between the two organizations that were continuously locking horns.

Related Story Apple’s Tablet Shipments Increased 18.2 Percent In Q2 2024 Thanks To M4 iPad Pro & M2 iPad Air Launches, But Same Success Cannot Be Replicated In China

What made it even more tense was that Jobs demanded unwavering loyalty from Apple’s board members. Google was previously in a different business altogether, but that was before the introduction of Android, and soon enough, both entities were competing with one another, putting Schmidt between a rock and a hard place. Naturally, keeping this position was a challenge, and according to an Apple press release published on August 3, 2009, Jobs announced Eric Schmidt’s departure.

As reported by Cult of Mac, Apple and Google were also being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission, making Schmidt’s appointment even more suspicious to the authorities. Assuming the former Google CEO had not resigned, regulators may have viewed it as a potential antitrust