A look back at Tim Cook’s 15-year legacy as Apple CEO

After 15 years at the helm of the company, Tim Cook is stepping down as Apple’s CEO and handing the reins over to the company’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, John Ternos. Cook, who joined Apple in 1998, succeeded Steve Jobs in 2011 and went on to build Apple into a $4 trillion powerhouse.

With his tenure as CEO ending on September 1, let’s take a look at some of the highlights from Cook’s 15 years as leader of one of the world’s most influential companies.

Financial growth

Apple was already an influential company when Cook took over, but under his leadership, the company’s market value increased tenfold. When Cook took office in August 2011, Apple was valued at just under $350 billion. The company’s value exceeded $1 trillion in 2018, $2 trillion in 2020, $3 trillion in 2022, and $4 trillion in 2025. Now the tech giant is currently worth $4.01 trillion.

The tech giant reported $112 billion in net income for the fiscal year ending September 2025, which is eight times what Apple saw in September 2010. The company managed this 699% increase despite several issues, including the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions between the US and China. Cook, who was previously chief operating officer and is credited with being the mastermind behind Apple’s global supply chain under Steve Jobs, expanded Apple’s footprint in China and added nearly 200 stores to the company’s global network during his tenure as CEO.

New product categories

Cook has expanded Apple’s iPhone and PC 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 full-fledged health and fitness companion with blood oxygen tracking and ECG monitoring. Then Apple revolutionized the earphones market in 2016 with the launch of the first AirPods, changing the wireless earphones category. It then launched its first over-ear headphones in 2020. It is also worth noting that Apple bought Beats in 2014.

The tech giant also launched the Apple Vision Pro in 2024, positioning it not only as a virtual reality headset, but also as a spatial computing platform. However, the launch failed to resonate with consumers who did not want to spend several thousand dollars to purchase the gadget.

Under Cook, the company has also released iPads in various sizes and price points, essentially turning the devices into full-fledged computers that can handle a variety of different tasks for personal, work, and school use.

Of course, Cook also oversaw major changes to the iPhone, including the introduction of the less expensive iPhone SE, as well as advances like Face ID and edge-to-edge displays.

Although Apple moved away from the “i” branding in new product releases under Cook’s leadership, he oversaw a significant expansion of the company’s product lineup.

Expansion of services

Under Cook, Apple has built a strong services business. The tech giant launched Apple Pay in 2014, which is now used by an estimated 818 million people globally. In 2019, the tech giant launched the streaming service Apple TV+ (now known as Apple TV), whose content has since won hundreds of awards, including an Academy Award for Best Picture.

Apple launched its streaming service Apple Music in 2015 to compete with Spotify, and the service now has more than 112 million subscribers. In 2019, Apple launched Apple Arcade and has since built it up with a range of premium games.

Although Jobs first announced iCloud in 2011, the storage service has since grown significantly under Cook’s leadership, including the launch of iCloud+ in 2021. Additionally, Cook has overseen the evolution of the App Store and has repeatedly defended its 30% commission structure.

Apple’s services business generated revenue of $109.16 billion during the fiscal year ending September 2025. This segment represents a large portion of the company’s total revenue of $416.16 billion for the year.

Switch to internal processors

Under Cook’s leadership, Apple began the transition from Intel processors to its Apple Silicon chips in 2020 and completed the shift across its Mac lineup by 2023. The result was longer battery life, higher performance, greater power efficiency, and more.

The era of artificial intelligence

Apple entered the era of artificial intelligence in 2024 with the launch of Apple Intelligence. However, since then, the company has not made any major breakthroughs, and has faced significant delays in the launch of an expected revamped, AI-powered Siri (expected to launch sometime this year).

The tech giant has remained largely absent from the tech industry’s broader generative 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.

The United States has committed to spending $600 billion

Cook joined President Donald Trump last year to announce a $600 billion US spending commitment, marking the tech giant’s largest investment plan ever. The four-year plan includes expanding employment and manufacturing activity in the country, with a focus on building a stronger domestic supply chain for semiconductors and advanced technology.

Apple Park

Jobs’ vision for Apple Park came to life under Cook’s leadership in 2017. The 175-acre headquarters, which replaced the Apple Campus, is home to more than 12,000 employees. It includes thousands of local, drought-resistant trees, and runs on 100% renewable energy.

Today, Apple Park serves as the backdrop for the company’s new product launches.