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

After 15 years at the helm, Tim Cook is stepping down as CEO of Apple and handing over 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 powerhouse worth $4 trillion. 

With his time as CEO coming to an end on September 1, let’s take a look at some of the highlights of Cook’s 15 years as the leader of one of the most influential companies in the world. 

Financial growth

Apple was already an influential company when Cook took the reins, 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 passed $1 trillion in 2018, $2 trillion in 2020, $3 trillion in 2022, and $4 trillion in 2025. Now, the tech giant currently sits at $4.01 trillion. 

The tech giant reported $112 billion in net income for the fiscal year ending in September 2025, which was eight times what Apple saw in September 2010. The company was able to achieve that 699% increase despite many issues, including the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China. Cook, who was formerly chief operations officer and credited as the brains behind Apple’s global supply chain under Steve Jobs, expanded Apple’s reach in China and added roughly 200 stores to the company’s global network during his tenure as CEO.

New product categories

Cook expanded Apple’s iPhone and computers 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 complete with blood oxygen tracking and ECG monitoring. Apple then disrupted the earphones market in 2016 with the launch of the first AirPods, changing the wireless headphones category. It then launched its first over-the-ear headphones in 2020. It’s also worth noting that Apple purchased 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 didn’t want to spend several thousand dollars to purchase the gadget.

Under Cook, the company also released iPads at various sizes and multiple price points, and essentially turned the devices into full-on computers that can handle a variety of different tasks for personal, work, 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 in new product releases under Cook, he oversaw the major expansion of the company’s product lineup.

Services expansion 

Under Cook, Apple built a powerful 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 its Apple TV+ (now Apple TV) streaming service, whose content has since earned hundreds of awards, including the Academy Award 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 out with a portfolio of premium games. 

Although Jobs first announced iCloud in 2011, the storage service has since grown vastly under Cook, including the launch of iCloud+ in 2021. Additionally, Cook oversaw the evolution of the App Store and 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 total $416.16 billion revenue for the year.

Shift to in-house processors

Under Cook’s leadership, Apple began transitioning from Intel processors to its own 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. 

AI era

Apple entered its AI era in 2024 with the launch of Apple Intelligence. Since then, however, the company hasn’t had any major breakthroughs, and has faced significant delays in launching its anticipated revamped AI-powered Siri (it’s expected to roll out sometime this year).

The tech giant remained largely absent from the broader tech industry’s generative AI race that kicked off when OpenAI’s ChatGPT launched in 2022. Earlier this year, Apple and Google announced that Google’s Gemini would power its next-generation AI tools.

$600 billion U.S. spending commitment 

Cook joined President Donald Trump last year to announce a $600 billion U.S. spending commitment, marking the tech giant’s biggest investment plan ever. The four-year plan includes expanding hiring 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 came to life under Cook’s leadership in 2017. The 175-acre headquarters, which replaced Apple Campus, houses more than 12,000 employees. It features thousands of native and drought-resistant trees and is powered by 100% renewable energy. 

Today, Apple Park is the backdrop of the company’s new product launches.