Apple CEO Tim Cook took home $74.6 million last year. But he started out in the world of work with a paper route and then a humble $1.10-an-hour job. It’s hard to recall a time before Tim Cook worked at Apple—after all he joined the company in 1998,

Cook spoke to Table Manners podcast hosts Jessie and Lennie Ware when he was visiting London in December. He revealed that he still employs the hardworking

Under his leadership, Apple shattered all previous records to reach a market capitalisation of over $3 trillion — bigger than the gross domestic product (GDP) of several nations.

Among the key management skills he learned from Jobs was the importance of not being married to past beliefs, a competency that Cook says few leaders possess. Jobs welcomed debates, relished being challenged, and valued those who were willing to admit they were wrong when new evidence emerged.

It’s hard to recall a time before Tim Cook worked at Apple—after all he joined the company in 1998, before iPods (RIP) even existed. But long before helming the world of iPhones, iMacs, and iPads, Cook could be found tossing the latest newspaper into the front gardens of Robertsdale,