After 15 years at the helm, Tim Cook is stepping down as CEO of Apple and handing the reins to the company’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, John Ternus. Cook, who joined Apple in 1998, succeeded Steve Jobs in 2011 and went on to transform Apple into a $4 trillion powerhouse.
As his tenure as CEO ends on September 1, let’s take a look back at some of the highlights of Cook’s 15 years at the helm of one of the world’s most influential companies.
Economic development
Apple was already an influential company when Cook took over, but under his leadership, the company’s market capitalization increased tenfold. When Cook took over in August 2011, Apple was valued at just under $350 billion. The company crossed $1 trillion in 2018, $2 trillion in 2020, $3 trillion in 2022, and $4 trillion in 2025. Now the tech giant is currently valued at $4.01 trillion.
The company reported net income of $112 billion for the fiscal year ending September 2025, eight times what Apple saw in September 2010. The company managed to achieve this 699% growth despite several issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions between the US and China. Cook, who was previously chief operations officer and was seen as the mastermind behind Apple’s global supply chain under Steve Jobs, expanded Apple’s reach in China and added about 200 stores to the company’s global network during his tenure as CEO.
New product categories
Cook expanded Apple’s iPhone and computer ecosystem into a broader network of complementary devices that includes wearables and gadgets.
Apple launched the Apple Watch in 2015 and has since turned it into a complete health and fitness companion with blood oxygen monitoring and EKG monitoring. Apple then disrupted the headphone market in 2016 with the launch of the first AirPods, changing the wireless headphone category. It then released its first in-ear headphones in 2020. It’s also worth noting that Apple bought Beats in 2014.
The tech giant also released the Apple Vision Pro in 2024, positioning it not just as a VR headset, but as a spatial computing platform. The launch, however, failed to resonate with consumers who did not want to spend several thousand dollars to buy the gadget.
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Under Cook, the company also launched iPads in multiple sizes and multiple price points, essentially turning the devices into full-featured computers that can handle a variety of different tasks for personal, business, and school use.
Of course, Cook also oversaw key changes to the iPhone, including the introduction of the more affordable iPhone SE, as well as advancements like Face ID and edge-to-edge displays.
Although Apple moved away from the “i” branding on new product releases under Cook, he oversaw a major expansion of the company’s product line.
Extension of services
Under Cook, Apple built a strong services business. The tech giant launched Apple Pay in 2014, which is now used by one estimated at 818 million people worldwide. In 2019, the tech giant launched its streaming service Apple TV+ (now Apple TV), whose content has since won hundreds of awards, including the Oscar for Best Picture.
Apple launched its Apple Music streaming service in 2015 to take on Spotify, and the service now has over 112 million subscribers. In 2019, Apple launched Apple Arcade and has since built it up with a portfolio of premium games.
Although Jobs first announced iCloud in 2011, the storage service has since grown significantly under Cook, including the launch of iCloud+ in 2021. In addition, Cook has overseen the evolution of the App Store and has repeatedly defended its 30% commission structure.
Apple’s services business generated $109.16 billion in revenue during the fiscal year ending in September 2025. The segment accounted for a significant portion of the company’s $416.16 billion in total revenue for the year.
Switch to internal processors
Under Cook’s leadership, Apple began the transition from Intel processors to its own Apple Silicon chips in 2020 and completed the shift in its Mac lineup by 2023. The result was longer battery life, higher performance, greater energy efficiency, and more.
Age of AI
Apple entered the era of AI in 2024 with the launch of Apple Intelligence. Since then, however, the company has had no major breakthroughs and has faced significant delays in the launch of its expected revamped AI-powered Siri (expected to launch sometime this year).
The tech giant has been largely absent from the broader tech industry’s AI race that began when OpenAI’s ChatGPT launched in 2022. Earlier this year, Apple and Google announced that Google’s Gemini would power next-generation AI tools.
US $600 billion spending commitment
Cook joined President Donald Trump last year to announce a $600 billion US spending pledge, marking the tech giant’s biggest investment plan ever. The four-year plan includes expanding recruitment and manufacturing activity in the country, with a focus on building a stronger domestic semiconductor and advanced technology supply chain.
Apple Park
Jobs’ vision for Apple Park became a reality under Cook’s leadership in 2017. The 175-acre headquarters, which replaced the Apple Campus, houses more than 12,000 employees. It has thousands of native and drought-resistant trees and is powered by 100% renewable energy.
Today, Apple Park is the backdrop for the company’s new product launches.
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