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back to article Want to get $1bn from Apple? Step 1: Move to China. Step 2: Copy Uber

Apple says it has invested $1bn in a Chinese ride-sharing company called Didi Chuxing. The Cupertino Mac-maker said that it would be pouring the cash into the China-based Uber competitor as part of an effort to expand its financial reach in the mainland. In breaking word of the investment to Reuters, Apple CEO Tim Cook that …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    China is where the first fully autonomous cars will be sold

    There will be a lot of regulatory and insurance hurdles in the US / Europe, so China is the place to be. In the meantime they can probably get access to the data the company has about where the drivers are taking people so they can improve Apple Maps data in China, and down the road they can instrument some of the private drivers' cars who volunteer with similar hardware to what Apple's car will use for sensors. Any time there is an accident or a close call, that data can be reviewed and the software Apple is working on tested to see how it would handle the situation, to insure that it handles all such situations as well as possible.

    0 0 Reply
    1. JeffyPoooh
      Reply Icon
      Pint

      Re: China is where the first fully autonomous cars will be sold

      Yep. With their traffic congestion (a week to go 5 km*), a self-driving car would only require a 555 timer and a couple of op-amps to control it.

      No need for a huge computer when the speed averages 0.03 kmh.

      * Not kidding. Ref. Google: China National Highway 110 traffic jam

      1 0 Reply
  2. Anonymous Coward
    Childcatcher

    Oh, matron!

    Didi Chuxing? Sounds a bit rude!

    0 3 Reply
  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Copying Uber's business model in China

    Chinese Government: "Your drivers should be licensed. May we meet to discuss?"

    Uber-copycat Didi Chuxing consults Uber's playbook, and replies, "Buzz off ya twits! We're Uber - I mean Didi Chuxing - and you can't tell us what to do. So get stuffed. Yours truly, Government Relations Office, Uber - I mean Didi Chuxing."

    I wonder how this sort of typical Uber-style 'Government Relations' approach would go over under a one party state?

    1 0 Reply
  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ride sharing

    Why do people persist in calling this a 'ride-sharing' service? It's clearly a taxi, you're not sharing a ride with anyone.

    2 0 Reply
    1. Captain DaFt
      Reply Icon

      Re: Ride sharing

      Greed.

      Original concept; You're going somewhere and willing to take some else along, facilitated by a web app.

      Then Uber came along, saw that it was good, and said, "We will monetise this and the IPO will be bountiful!"

      5 0 Reply
    2. CraPo
      Reply Icon

      Re: Ride sharing

      If you look at Didi's website, they offer a service called Hitch, which comes pretty close (still think Hitcher is expected to share costs fuel/tolls).

      0 0 Reply
  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    In the future, we will know this news...

    ...as marking the beginning of the end of Apple.

    They won't be here in a decade.

    2 0 Reply
  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    a chance to learn

    my ass...

    2 0 Reply
  7. Planty Bronze badge
    Megaphone

    Headline news

    Chinese people don't want to buy iphone made by Chinese slave labour

    1 1 Reply
  8. teknopaul

    bit of a Ballmer move

    Spend a billion on arriving late, eyeing up someone else's billions, unrelated industry.

    Seen that before.

    Peak Apple indeed.

    0 0 Reply
  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Foxconn ? Chinese? Really?

    Come on elReg get your facts right.

    Foxconn (aka Hon Hai Precision) is Taiwanese

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn

    who happen to have some factories in mainland China.

    Remember, Foxconn also own Sharp (Japan).

    0 0 Reply
  10. David Kelly 2

    Punitive American Tax System

    Apple has China-taxed profits in China which will be taxed again (and again) if brought to the USA to pay dividends to stockholders. So who is surprised when Apple leaves those funds overseas in investments out of reach of the US IRS?

    0 0 Reply
    1. JeffyPoooh
      Reply Icon
      Pint

      Re: Punitive American Tax System

      "...taxed if brought to the USA to pay dividends to stockholders."

      Hmmm...

      That leads to the obvious Next Big Tax-Avoidance Thing...

      A method of transferring something equivalent to a dividend payment to shareholders, but from a corporation's tax haven to shareholders' tax haven. Untouched by taxation.

      Maybe a "Loan", secured by the unpaid dividends, where the "Loan" could be picked up in a nice location like the Cayman Islands or Monaco. Some place with nice weather, good shopping, and a Bitcoin storefront.

      When the Shareholder "defaults" on the "Loan", then it might even become a deductible tax credit for the corporation.

      Yep, this could be made to work.

      0 0 Reply

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