{"id":16738,"date":"2025-10-17T19:15:43","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T19:15:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/10\/17\/apple-ceo-tim-cook-gets-a-custom-labubu-sending-pop-mart-stock-surge\/"},"modified":"2025-10-17T19:15:44","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T19:15:44","slug":"apple-ceo-tim-cook-gets-a-custom-labubu-sending-pop-mart-stock-surge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/10\/17\/apple-ceo-tim-cook-gets-a-custom-labubu-sending-pop-mart-stock-surge\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple CEO Tim Cook Gets a Custom Labubu, Sending Pop Mart Stock Surge"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Labubu\u2019s rise from niche designer toy to global pop icon is turning Pop Mart into China\u2019s answer to Disney. Mike Kemp\/In Pictures via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The stock of Pop Mart<\/a>, the Chinese company behind the viral Labubu toy, rebounded sharply this week after a Labubu exhibition in Shanghai welcomed a special guest: Apple<\/a> CEO Tim Cook<\/a>. Cook attended the event on Oct. 13, where he met Pop Mart founder and CEO Wang Ning<\/a> and received a one-of-a-kind gift: a custom Labubu figurine designed to look just like him, complete with black, thick-rimmed glasses and a miniature iPhone in his left hand.<\/p>\n

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Pop Mart\u2019s Hong Kong\u2013listed shares have climbed 11.6 percent in the four trading days since then. The rally reverses a brief dip in the company\u2019s value after months of strong performance. Earlier this year, Pop Mart reported a more than 400 percent surge<\/a> in profits year-over-year, driven largely by booming sales of Labubu, which has become a pop culture sensation across the world. The company\u2019s success has propelled Wang, 38, into China\u2019s billionaire ranks, with a net worth now exceeding $26 billion.<\/p>\n

While several celebrities have received\u00a0custom Labubu figurines<\/a>\u00a0designed by stylist Marko Monroe (including Lady Gaga and the entire cast of\u00a0Wednesda<\/em>y), Cook\u2019s figurine appears to be the first crafted directly by the original creator of the character.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Shanghai exhibition celebrated the 10th anniversary of The Monsters, the illustrated book series by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, on which the Labubu characters are based. During the event, Lung demonstrated how he uses an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil to sketch his creations, underscoring the creative synergy between Apple\u2019s products and Pop Mart\u2019s designer-toy culture.<\/p>\n

Cook quipped that the miniature version of himself was holding an \u201ciPhone 17 Pro in Cosmic Orange.\u201d The joke came just as Apple prepared to open pre-orders for its new iPhone Air in China today (Oct. 17).<\/p>\n

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With Apple promoting new devices and Pop Mart riding a wave of enthusiasm for Labubu, the two brands\u2019 alignment felt like a natural fit\u2014an intersection of art, technology and consumer fandom. Both companies share a knack for cultivating emotional connections with their audiences through design and storytelling.<\/p>\n

Cook\u2019s visit to Pop Mart wasn\u2019t an isolated stop. During his trip, he also visited the headquarters of Lilith Games, the Shanghai-based studio behind the video game AFK Arena, signaling Apple\u2019s ongoing interest in deepening ties with China\u2019s creative and gaming industries.<\/p>\n

The visit also reflects Apple\u2019s broader strategy in China, a key market for both sales and supply chain operations. Despite the ongoing trade tensions, Cook reaffirmed this week that Apple remains committed to increasing investment i<\/a>n China.<\/p>\n

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Apple has gradually shifted parts of its key manufacturing operations from China to India<\/a> in an effort to diversify its supply chain. Meanwhile, sales in China have shown signs of slowing compared with other major markets. In the company\u2019s most recent fiscal year, Greater China accounted for just over 17 percen<\/a>t of Apple\u2019s global revenue, down from 19 percent the year before.<\/p>\n

For Pop Mart, the timing of Cook\u2019s visit, just ahead of the holiday shopping season, could further boost its visibility and sales momentum. Wall Street analysts appear optimistic: JPMorgan upgraded Pop Mart\u2019s stock rating this week, raising its price target by more than 6 percent and forecasting 165 percent year-over-year sales growth.<\/p>\n

Pop Mart executives have often cited Disney as a model for building enduring intellectual property. \u201cWe have learned from Disney for a long time\u2026Disney\u2019s great value lies in its ability to operate IP over the long-term, even up to 100 years,\u201d\u00a0said Si De, Pop Mart\u2019s executive director, in a September interview, pointing to Disney\u2019s ability to keep Mickey Mouse culturally relevant nearly a century after his creation.<\/p>\n

Whether Pop Mart can achieve that level of longevity remains to be seen. But with Labubu dolls selling out across Asia and collaborations reaching global audiences, Pop Mart\u2019s whimsical monsters are already shaping up to be China\u2019s answer to Mickey Mouse.<\/p>\n

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