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

After 15 years at the helm, Tim Cook is resign as CEO of Apple and provide guidance to the senior vice president of hardware technology, John Ternus. Cook, who joined Apple in 1998, succeeded Steve Jobs in 2011 and turned Apple into a $4 trillion powerhouse.

With his time as CEO set to expire on September 1, let’s take a look 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 a popular company when Cook took over, but under his leadership, the company’s market share increased tenfold. When Cook took over in August 2011, Apple was valued at $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 worth $4.01 trillion.

The tech giant posted revenue of $112 billion in the fiscal year that ends in September 2025, which was eight times more than what Apple saw in September 2010. The company managed to achieve a 699% increase despite many challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic and tensions between the US and China. Cook, a former chief operating officer who is credited with launching Apple worldwide under Steve Jobs, expanded Apple’s reach in China and to add about 200 stores to the company’s global network during his tenure as CEO.

New product categories

Cook expanded Apple’s ecosystem of computers and computers into a network of accessories that included wearables and electronics.

Apple launched the Apple Watch in 2015 and it turned into a great health and fitness companion with blood oxygen tracking and ECG monitoring. Apple then disrupted the headphone market in 2016 with the launch of the first AirPods, changing the category of wireless headphones. Then it launched its first headphones in 2020. It is also worth noting that Apple bought Beats in 2014.

The tech giant also released the Apple Vision Pro in 2024, positioning it not as a VR headset, but as a desktop platform. The implementation, however, did not agree with consumers who did not want to spend several thousand dollars to buy this device.

Under Cook, the company also released iPads in a variety of models and price points, and transformed the devices into complete computers that can handle a variety of personal, work, and school tasks.

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

Although Apple moved away from the “i” logo for new releases under Cook, he oversaw significant growth in the company’s product offerings.

The scope of work

Under Cook, Apple built a strong support business. The tech giant introduced Apple Pay in 2014, which is now used by a about 818 million people all over the world. In 2019, the tech giant launched its streaming service Apple TV+ (now Apple TV), whose content has won hundreds of awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Apple launched its streaming service Apple Music in 2015 to take on Spotify, and the service now has over 112 million subscribers. In 2019, Apple launched Apple Arcade and created it with the best games.

Although Jobs first announced iCloud in 2011, the storage service grew significantly under Cook, including the launch of iCloud + in 2021. In addition, Cook oversaw the evolution of the App Store and repeatedly defended the 30% commission system.

Apple’s services business generated $109.16 billion in revenue for the fiscal year ending in September 2025. This segment made up the largest portion of the company’s $416.16 billion annual revenue.

Switch to in-house processors

Under Cook’s leadership, Apple began to switch from Intel processors to its own Apple Silicon chips in 2020 and completed the transformation of its Mac by 2023. The result was a longer battery life, higher performance, more energy efficiency, etc.

AI was

Apple entered its AI era in 2024 with the launch of Apple Intelligence. However, since then, the company has had no major breakthroughs, and has faced significant delays in the launch of its redesigned AI-powered Siri (expected to launch this year).

The tech giant is not yet on the big AI race that started when OpenAI’s ChatGPT was launched in 2022. Earlier this year, Apple and Google announced Google’s Gemini. strength its tools for the next generation of AI.

Commitment of $ 600 billion to the US

Cook joined President Donald Trump last year to announce a $600 billion U.S. investment plan, marking the country’s largest tech-savvy economy. The four-year plan also includes expanding the country’s employment and manufacturing sector, with a focus on building strong domestic machinery and high-tech infrastructure.

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, houses more than 12,000 employees. It has many natural and drought resistant trees and is powered by 100% renewable energy.

Today, Apple Park is the center of the company’s new products.