∞ Apple's Jonny Ive looking to return to the UK?

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Apple’s product design guru Jonny Ive may be looking to return to the UK with his family.

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According to a report on TUAW on Sunday, Ive and Apple aren’t seeing eye-to-eye on his desire to move his family. Ive is reportedly looking to move to educate his children in England.

Citing a friend of Ives, the Times of London said that Apple told him that if he did move back to London he wouldn’t keep his position with Apple.

The report also said that after receiving a $30 million option grant from the company, Ive is worth an estimated $128 million.

Ive’s products for Apple, including the iPad, iPhone and iPod have received numerous design awards. Ive himself received the National Design Award for Designer of the Year in 2007.


  • Anonymous

    My sources tell me that this is just tabloid tactics. Yes Ive and his wife are looking at their kids being schooled in England and are most likely going to make the move. Yes Ive is planning to spend time with them in England. But no he is not unhappy with working at Apple and no Apple is NOT blocking his plans. A huge chunk of design work comes before a prototype is even possible. Work that can be done anywhere and handled with conference calls, video chats etc. Some of the same tactics used by Jobs during his medical leaves. Ive loves working for Apple and they love him.
    This ‘unnamed friend’ is bogus. Apple’s “speculation” comment is actually code for “utter bulls—” in this particular case

  • Jonathan

    I agree. In fact, I would expect that Apple would invest in a design studio wherever Mr. Ive would like to live.

  • Anonymous

    If both Jobs and Ive were to leave, then we’re in trouble. I can’t imagine Apple wouldn’t accommodate him. They can’t lose their creatives.

  • http://www.facebook.com/VVooDz Anthony Woodruffe

    Ive’s dna is very much in every part of apple products atm. If we think it would be suicidal from him to leave without some sort of change over from designer to another, then Apple know it too.
    But really who on earth would want the children educated in the UK by choice? I know they wouldn’t attend just any school but still….

  • Andrea

    Even a 50 million $ project to relocate Ive everywhere in the world with a crew and a private plane at his disposal would be an investment Apple could make if that’s the thing to do to keep Ive in the company. “It’s too valuable to them”… so they would do anything to keep him with ‘em.

  • anon

    @Athony
    Why wouldn’t he want to have his kids educated in the UK. The UK education is far superior to the American one. Just look at how well people in the UK know their geography compared to the Americans.
    Don’t forget Ive was educated in the UK and he’s the soul of Apple. If I was Ive, I’d also want my kids to be educated outside of the US in order to get a better education.

    • Anonymous

      FWIW people in the UK complain about the “low” standards in their educational system just like educated Americans (naming places is hardly a sign of a “good” education, slaps forehead in disbelief). With a hundred million dollars in the bank Ives could find a pretty good educational setup for his kids in Calif too. It’s not like he can’t afford to send them to an independent school. If he and the family return to the UK it certainly won’t be to put the kids in a local school, esp if he moves to a city. Really, this line of reasoning in the US press is out of ignorance (nothing new there I guess). Makes for good link bait though.

      If there is any truth to the rumour it may revolve around the kids’ identity as British more than the “quality” of education. In any case, even if he were to leave Apple I’m sure that Apple’s industrial design wouldn’t fall apart though obviously Ive is a talented guy. Apple have a long tradition in great industrial design (with a few flops here and there) and a long tradition in hiring great talent. That said, I hope things work out and he stays with Apple.

  • Anonymous

    It would be a significant loss to Apple. But anything coming from Fleet Street is speculation. Even from the Times.

  • YossarianLives

    I’m pretty sure that Betteride’s Law applies here.

  • Anonymous

    Unless Ive is clashing with Cook, or feels he could be God on his own. I hope none of this is true. Two visionaries out of action in a couple of years could be trouble. Imagine the press and bloggers distorting this to send the “Apple Death Knell” counter into quintuple digits.