If You Had Bought $10,000 of Apple Stock When Tim Cook Became CEO, Here's What You'd Have Today
Cook didn't have the same kind of following as Steve Jobs, but his 15-year tenure as the head of Apple made a lot of shareholders richer.
Overview
Tim Cook stepped down as CEO of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) on Sept. 1, 2026, after an eventful and successful 15-year run. But does he get the appreciation that he's due?
First, Cook had the bad luck of following a particularly dynamic leader. Steve Jobs, who helped co-found Apple in the 1970s, led the company through the first boom of personal computing, helping introduce Apple's early computers and the Macintosh. And then, after he returned to Apple in the 1990s, Jobs revolutionized the music business by leading the company's launches of the iPod and iTunes, and then revolutionized the smartphone with innovations such as a touchscreen interface and an easy-to-use camera.
Details
Cook, meanwhile, came in for his fair share of criticism in his 15-year tenure at Apple, as dramatic innovations have been far less frequent in recent iPhone models. The company has also been criticized for its artificial intelligence (AI) strategies, as its Siri digital assistant has been eclipsed by generative AI products such as Grok, ChatGPT, and Claude.
Source
Originally published at www.fool.com.