Tim Cook Once Offered a Part of His Liver to Steve Jobs

Now that’s loyalty and dedication.

Just how close Tim Cook was to Steve Jobs? An upcoming book sheds light into Tim Cook’s relationship with the late Apple co-founder. Written by veteran journalist Brent Schlender and editor Rick Tetzeli, the book, titled “Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader,” recalls the time when Cook offered a part of his liver to the ailing Jobs.

Steve Jobs stopped visiting his office at Apple’s headquarters two years before his death.  He was suffering from ascites, a gastroenterological effect of cancer which reportedly enlarged his belly. According to the book, Tim Cook was so upset about Jobs’ deteriorating condition that he thought about donating a portion of his liver to Steve. Cook went through a series of tests and found out that he has a rare blood type that could be similar to Jobs’.

The book points out that around 6,000 liver transplants are performed every year in the United States, and that the rate of success is quite high. Cook’s idea was to offer a portion of his liver—just enough to help Jobs. The liver, by the way, is a regenerative organ, meaning it regrows over time. So, if Jobs gets a part of Cook’s liver, the portion transplanted will eventually grow. The same applies to the remaining liver.

What’s interesting about the book is Jobs’ response to Cook’s offer. The legendary Apple co-founder reportedly rebuked Cook saying, “I’ll never let you do that.” Tim Cook recalled that Jobs popped up in bed and bluntly said no. Cook adds that during the 13 years that he knew Jobs, he only got yelled at four or five times by Jobs, and that moment was one of them. The book also reveals that Steve Jobs and Bob Iger, the CEO of the Walt Disney Company, once plotted to acquire Yahoo—a deal that would have shifted Apple’s course.

Sources: Fast Company, Fast Company