[microtherion]

If I may speculate wildly:

* France (and other French speaking countries) produce well qualified engineers.

* As others have pointed out, France can be perceived as a rather inhospitable place for entrepreneurial people.

* On the other hand, Apple may be a little bit more aligned with French values than other Silicon Valley companies: Pride of auteurship, opinionated design, and occasional stubbornness in the face of customer complaints. I think a French engineer will recognize a certain je ne sais quoi in "you're holding it wrong" ;-)