According to an email released by Wikileaks, Hillary Clinton's campaign team considered a large number of business personalities as a potential vice president nominee. Some of the prominent business persons considered are Tim Cook, Bill Gates, and GM CEO May Barra.
The email in question is believed to have been sent by John Podesta, the chairman of Clinton's campaign team. The email, which is dated March 17, contains several choices for the post of the Democrat vice president nominee. Apart from Tim Cook, Bill Gates, and Mary Barra, the list also contained names such as Melinda Gates, co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and spouse of Bill Gates as well as Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz.
While Cook has been a vocal supporter of Hillary Clinton, the Gates have maintained silent about their political affiliation. Neither of the Gates has publicly backed any presidential candidate.
Cook, on the other hand, is known to be on the list of 'Hillblazers,' who have contributed or raised at least $100,000 for the Clinton campaign. The Apple CEO has organized a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton. However, he also hosted another fundraiser for Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. Given his current role with Apple, it is highly unlikely that Cook would have considered the option of running as a vice president candidate.
The leaked email is a part of broader revelations by WikiLeaks. The initiative involves leaking emails and other information obtained from various sources including the Clinton campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and the campaign emails. The veracity of this particular email has not been verified by the Clinton campaign.
Hillary Clinton ultimately picked Tim Kaine as her running mate.