SAN FRANCISCO – Steve Jobs left behind some big shoes to fill, but Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said Apple is doing a good job, though it shouldn’t forget its roots.
“I think Apple can never forget that they were founded and led by the greatest prophet in our industry,” he said on stage at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco today. “And at the same time, they have to remember who they are themselves so they can create the future.”
Benioff, who had a close relationship with Jobs, said that Apple was “a super-important company for our industry,” adding that the company’s success would be critical to the tech industry’s future.
His comments come on the same day as a major Apple announcement, which saw the unveiling of the new iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Pay mobile payment system and Apple Watch smartwatch. The company has been spending a lot of time and effort to hype up its event today, and in Benioff’s view, it paid off, especially since Tim Cook chose to pay homage to Jobs.
When it comes to the company’s future financial prospects, Benioff is also bullish on what’s to come. When asked if he thought Apple was a buy, sell or hold, he suggested it was a buy.
“I told my mom to buy Apple stock,” he said.
