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King Charles hears man’s Microsoft layoff story as ex-Apple CEO stands behind them
King Charles' interaction with the man took place at a music event organised in collaboration between King's Trust charity and Apple.
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A video of a conversation between King Charles and a former Microsoft employee has surfaced online. The clip shows the royalty intently listening to the man’s layoff story with former Apple CEO Tim Cook standing behind them. The interaction took place at a hi-tech music workshop for young people organised in collaboration between King's Trust charity and Apple.
“I've actually done several courses. So, I used to work at Microsoft, and unfortunately, there was a lay-off worldwide,” the man tells the King as Cook also listens.
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About the event:
The event, attended and backed by the King, aimed to teach practical skills to young people to help them find work in the creative industries. It was held in a music hall in Apple's headquarters.
In addition to the royalty and the tech executive, Sir Elton John, a long-time supporter of both The King's Trust and Apple Music, also attended the event.
Tim Cook’s tweet:
Celebrating the event, former Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted, “We were honored to host His Majesty King Charles III in London and celebrate Apple’s work with the @KingsTrust. We were thrilled the incomparable Sir Elton John joined us for a moment at Apple Music Hall!”
Cook stepped down as CEO of Apple in 2026 after 15 years. He has now moved to an executive chairman role, and John Ternus stepped in as the current CEO of the company.
Microsoft layoffs:
Though the man didn’t mention exactly when he was laid off from Microsoft, the company eliminated about 4,800 roles earlier this year, which is nearly 2.1% of its global workforce.
In a communication shared with the employees in July, Amy Coleman, EVP and Chief People Officer, said, “Decisions like these are never easy, and you have my commitment that we are always looking for ways to reduce the need for job eliminations. Whenever possible, our priority is to place people into new roles aligned to the company’s highest priorities and greatest areas of opportunity.”
Coleman added, “I also want to be direct that the roles eliminated today are not being replaced by AI. At the same time, what is true is that AI is changing how work gets done. Some of the tasks we do every day can now be automated, and that means we all need to keep learning, keep building new skills, and keep adapting as the work evolves.”
