Fifteen years after taking over from Steve Jobs, Tim Cook is stepping down as CEO of Apple, passing the baton to hardware chief John Ternus. Cook will remain involved as executive chairman, concluding his leadership era defined by scale, stability, and financial expansion. When Cook assumed leadership in 2011, Apple was already influential, valued at under $350 billion. Over the years, the company’s market capitalisation has multiplied dramatically, reaching about $4.01 trillion today. At one point, Apple became the first company to cross multiple valuation milestones, with its worth rivalling the size of entire national economies such as the United Kingdom. However, in recent times, competitors like Alphabet Inc. and Nvidia Corp. have edged ahead amid the artificial intelligence boom. Apple’s financial performance surged under Cook’s leadership. By the fiscal year ending September 2025, the company posted $112 billion in net income, representing a 699 per cent jump compared to 2010, according to a Bloomberg report. This growth came even as Apple navigated slowing smartphone demand, the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical tensions between the US and China, its primary manufacturing hub. Cook focused on expanding Apple’s ecosystem, building on flagship products like the iPhone while introducing complementary devices such as iPads and Apple Watches. His strategy stressed integration and long-term customer retention. Apple now have more than 2.5 billion active devices globally. The company crossed its billionth iPhone milestone in 2016, reflecting the scale of its reach. During recent holiday quarters, Apple reported record figures across revenue, iPhone sales, and services income. While some new initiatives, like the Apple car, did not materialise and products such as the Vision Pro remain niche, the broader ecosystem continues to drive consistent engagement, states the report. Apple’s retail footprint grew significantly under Cook, expanding to around 540 stores worldwide, including a strong presence in China with 50 outlets across major regions. At the same time, Apple pushed pricing boundaries. The average iPhone selling price climbed from $712 in 2011 to $1,070 in 2025, following industry-wide moves led alongside Samsung Electronics Co. to test premium pricing thresholds. Environmental initiatives became a key part of Cook’s leadership. Apple reduced plastic usage by 15,000 metric tons over five years through packaging redesign and increased use of recycled materials. Additionally, the company also advanced toward carbon neutrality goals, with newer products incorporating a higher percentage of recycled components. Meanwhile, Apple Park, the 175-acre headquarters envisioned by Steve Jobs, was completed during Cook’s tenure, housing over 12,000 employees and powered in part by renewable energy. One of Cook’s final major moves as CEO was a $600 billion US investment plan aimed at job creation, infrastructure, and next-generation technologies, including artificial intelligence systems. The initiative also reflects Apple’s efforts to balance domestic priorities with global operations, particularly amid shifting trade dynamics under the administration of Donald Trump. Cook’s successor, John Ternus, now inherits a company at unprecedented scale, with expectations to sustain growth while navigating technological shifts and geopolitical complexities. She is working as a Chief Copy Editor at Times Now’s Business Desk, where she covers key developments in the stock market, Indian corporates across se... View More