Tesla has hired 150 Apple workers, the most from any one company, because they tend to be more "aligned" to the carmaker.
The 150 workers come from all areas including law and engineering, according to Bloomberg News. “From a design philosophy, [Apple] is relatively closely aligned,” says Elon Musk, Tesla’s founder and chief executive officer.
Bloomberg reported that Apple declined to comment on the story.
One ex-Apple worker said that being part of Tesla was "being part of one of the most innovative companies in Silicon Valley." Doug Field joined Apple to oversee produce and hardware design, but then left to be vice president of Tesla's vehicle program in 2013.
Tesla's proximity to Silicon Valley makes it able to lure Silicon Valley workers unlike traditional automakers. “It’s almost an unfair advantage,” Adam Jonas, an auto industry analyst at Morgan Stanley, told Bloomberg. “As software goes from 10 percent of the value of the car to 60 over 10 years, that disadvantage [for traditional carmakers] will intensify.”
Others say that Musk is "enamored" of Apple and sees himself as another Steve Jobs and that ends up attracting those who used to work for the late Jobs. Tesla is also known for its emphasis on design, much as Apple has been, so a move between companies may not be very distant.
