Apple bought the entire US educational market. Once he was in, the education establishment found his progressive policies lined up with theirs. An entire generation grew up with Macs in the classroom those kids gave Apple it’s original base. It wasn’t direct subsidies like Musk, but it was certainly a captive audience courtesy of government schools.
Yet your point of later in the game with Apple is a great one to flush out Apple's tie to government. And very thought provoking as well on multiple levels in retrospect.
One of those levels for me is the difference in era. It was also a different environment then as well. Government wasn't good for putting it all in for a young start up so blatantly in cash dollars as it was in the Obama area of throw away tax dollars for the liberal fantasy world (although I'm sure HP or Compaq don't share my thoughts here as by supporting Apple they do show support and dollars for a certain company.)
And the sad thing is about the Obama administration's stealing and throwing away our money for their agenda. They got away with it because Americans let them. (and so I go off on my own here.) But alas. Your point made me ponder . . .