WSJ: Apple pressured memory suppliers with audits and threats

The Wall Street Journal detailed Apple's hardball procurement tactics with memory makers: demanding "most favored customer" status, frequent financial audits of suppliers and marathon negotiations. In 2015 procurement head Tony Blevins threatened that SanDisk CEO Sanjay Mehrotra would "crawl on his knees" back to Apple.

• Apple demanded most-favored-customer status and audited NAND suppliers' books
• The volume of audits earned Apple a discount from Deloitte
• Blevins threatened SanDisk's CEO would "crawl on his knees"
• SanDisk has signed long-term deals with price floors