John Browett joins Apple with reported £36m handshake

THE MAN hired to take over Apple's retail business has done so with a golden handshake reportedly worth around £36m.

Ex Currys boss John Browett will have to spend some of that bounty on a subscription to the Sunday Times online if he wants to read about his hiring windfall.

No one likes to talk about salaries, particularly jaw-dropping ones like this, but we have asked Apple about this bonus.

The Sunday Times says that the hiring bonus will be paid to Browett over the course of five years as a mix of cash and shares.

Apple is not short of cash and it is not short on retail stores either. Browett, who headed up PC World and Currys as boss of the Dixons retail group, joins a firm that announced net profits of over $30bn in its last quarter and is a very welcome addition.

"Our retail stores are all about customer service, and John shares that commitment like no one else we've met. We are thrilled to have him join our team and bring his incredible retail experience to Apple," said Apple CEO Tim Cook in announcing Browett's appointment.

Browett has been hired to lead an expansion of Apple stores. µ