Tim Cook has resigned as Apple's CEO after almost 15 years. He will take on the position of executive chairman. Cook will now be replaced by hardware chief John Ternus.
Apple was already well-known for the Mac and the iPhone when Cook took over in August 2011, just weeks before co-founder Steve Jobs passed away. However, the corporation was still worth $350 billion. It is currently worth more than $4 trillion. Under Cook, Apple transformed not only in terms of numbers but also in terms of strategy and goods. Observe Real-Time Updates
Stock and Market Value: A Steady, Prolonged Rise
Apple's stock was trading close to $13 (split-adjusted) when Cook took over as CEO. It closed at about $273 when he left. The share price has increased by about 20 times.During this time, Apple's market worth increased from roughly $350 billion to over $4 trillion. This kind of wealth creation is uncommon among huge corporations worldwide. Cook's years were therefore quite profitable for investors.
The iPhone was still the engine.
In 2011, Apple's most popular product was already the iPhone. Under Cook, it continued to be so.
Despite early scandals like "bendgate," models like the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus went on to become the best-selling iPhones in history. Additionally, Apple expanded its user base outside of the US and Europe by entering regions like Indonesia and India.

Over 2.5 billion Apple products were in use globally by the middle of the 2020s. The iPhone remained relevant. Everything else was financed by it.
New Items That Grew in Popularity
Apple did not introduce another iPhone-scale disruption under Cook. However, it created a lot of new categories.

• The Apple Watch rose to the top of the smartwatch market.
• Wireless audio was dominated by AirPods.
• Subscriptions to services like Apple Music, iCloud, TV+, and the App Store become a rapidly expanding source of recurrent income.
• When Cook took control, these companies were nonexistent. They currently make yearly contributions of tens of billions of dollar

Mac's Biggest Shift In Decades

One of Cook's most significant decisions was moving Macs away from Intel chips to Apple's own processors.

The shift to Apple silicon starting with the M1 chip changed the Mac lineup. MacBooks became thinner, faster, and far more power-efficient. Battery life became a key selling point.

This move reduced Apple's reliance on external chipmakers and improved control over performance and costs. For many analysts, this was Apple's boldest technical step since the iPhone.

What Wasn't Effective

• But not all of the wagers were profitable.
• There was no widespread production of the Vision Pro.
• Compared to competitors, Apple was perceived as reacting to the generative AI wave more slowly.
• Product upgrades were frequently seen as gradual, particularly in later years.
• Apple's detractors said that Cook prioritised refining over ground-breaking creativity.

But under Cook, discipline and operations became Apple's strong points. Apple now has one of the world's most effective supply chains. Launches of products were predictable. Strong margins persisted. The cash flows were enormous.
Services developed as a reliable source of revenue. Services, software, and hardware all functioned as a cohesive ecosystem. Apple became more dependable but less dramatic.
Steve Jobs vs. Tim Cook
Steve Jobs was regarded as a visionary for products. Cook was regarded as an expert executor. Apple received the iPhone from Jobs. For over ten years, Cook ensured that the iPhone company expanded internationally.
Jobs created classifications. Cook made an unprecedented amount of money off of them. Although the company's character altered, it continued to gain momentum.