--- title: Tim Cook Sends Fake Accidental Tweet Ahead of Apple Event description: Apple CEO Tim Cook fooled keynote guests when he sent (and deleted) a seemingly accidental tweet out ahead of the event. canonical: https://time.com/5394127/tim-cook-twitter/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-09-12T17:45:52.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-13T07:53:58.833Z og:title: Tim Cook Sends Fake Accidental Tweet Ahead of Apple Event og:description: Joke's on us og:url: https://time.com/5394127/tim-cook-twitter/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt671d250c8f17f3dd/69893a0e97cdff1bbe6b6370/tim-cook-tweet-apple-event-2018.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: Apple CEO Tim Cook Kicks Off Worldwide Developers Conference og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Tim Cook Sends Fake Accidental Tweet Ahead of Apple Event twitter:description: Joke's on us twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt671d250c8f17f3dd/69893a0e97cdff1bbe6b6370/tim-cook-tweet-apple-event-2018.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Tim Cook Just Masterfully Fooled Everyone With a Major Fakeout at the Apple Event > Sponsored content. 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It covers the reporting, scoops and conversations shaping AI and the decisions facing leaders. #### Where can I get reported AI news rather than commentary? In the Loop is TIME's AI newsletter, built on original reporting and access to the people building and governing AI. It publishes Tuesdays and Fridays and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes TIME's In the Loop? Harry Booth, a tech reporter at TIME, writes In the Loop. #### Is In the Loop free? Yes. In the Loop is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-loop-2026q3/newsletters?i=da3f4ee4-1a30-401b-bfed-b3d24d702682&cr=time-nl-loop-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Tim Cook Just Masterfully Fooled Everyone With a Major Fakeout at the Apple Event [Watch (HLS stream): Tim Cook Just Masterfully Fooled Everyone With a Major Fakeout at the Apple Event](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GSlhvMcz.m3u8) (0:40)  _Published 2018-09-12. The opening video for the keynote depicted an Apple employee who ran the length of the company’s campus to bring a mysterious box to Cook, which he alluded to in his tweet._  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Sep 12, 2018 5:45 PM UTC The opening video for the keynote depicted an Apple employee who ran the length of the company’s campus to bring a mysterious box to Cook, which he alluded to in his tweet.  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Sep 12, 2018 5:45 PM UTC [Apple CEO Tim Cook](http://time.com/5275610/apple-tim-cook-duke-commencement/) sent ripples of concern across the Internet when he sent a seemingly accidental (and now-deleted) tweet eight minutes before the 2018 [Apple keynote event](http://time.com/5383093/apple-2018-keynote-event-invite-internet-reactions/) on Wednesday. The tweet appeared to be a tweet that was meant to be a direct message that read: “No. Who can get it here quickly?” Once the Apple event was in full swing, however, it was clear that Cook’s “accidental” tweet was actually a gag. The opening video for the keynote depicted an Apple employee who ran the length of the company’s campus to bring a mysterious box to Cook, which he alluded to in his tweet. And while some might reasonably believe that this special box held the much-anticipated[ iPhone X, ](http://time.com/5380371/iphone-apple-rumors/)it turns out that the box actually holds Cook’s clicker to begin the event. The 2018 Apple keynote event, which was held at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, has been one of the most buzzy tech summits of the year. See Cook’s joke tweet below.  Twitter > [](https://twitter.com/ow/status/1039920058091352066) > [](https://twitter.com/delk/status/1039920094476828672) > [](https://twitter.com/ejacqui/status/1039920635357659136) > [](https://twitter.com/caro%5Fmilanesi/status/1039922664389795840) > [](https://twitter.com/ashlee2luv/status/1039922664373141505) > [](https://twitter.com/LelloucheNico/status/1039922663559516160) ## Transcript [00:00] [ MUSIC ] Is that [00:04] it? [ MUSIC ] Tim. [00:09] It's here. [ MUSIC ] [00:14] Ahhh. The clicker. [00:18] [ MUSIC ] The clicker. [ MUSIC ] The clicker. 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