Apple’s current CEO, Tim Cook, has surpassed co-founder Steve Jobs in terms of tenure. Cook has been at the helm of Apple for 5,091 days, surpassing Jobs’ total of 5,090 days as CEO. This development makes Cook the longest-serving CEO in Apple’s history.
Tim Cook Officially Surpasses Steve Jobs
While Steve Jobs first began leading Apple in the late 1970s, he first officially assumed the CEO role in 1997. Jobs was appointed interim CEO on September 16, 1997, and formalized his role on January 5, 2000.
He remained CEO until 2011, serving a total of 5,090 days as Apple’s top executive. Jobs stepped down in 2011 due to health issues and was succeeded by Tim Cook, who was then Chief Operating Officer.
Cook’s tenure as CEO began on August 24, 2011. Since then, Apple’s product line has expanded, its global reach has grown, and its market capitalization has reached record levels.
By 2022, Apple had reached a market capitalization of $3 trillion, making it one of the world’s most valuable companies. During this period, the company also strengthened its services presence with strategic acquisitions such as Beats and Shazam.
Under Jobs’ leadership, products such as the iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Air were launched. At the same time, software that forms the foundation of the digital ecosystem, such as iTunes, iOS, the App Store, and iCloud, was developed. Strategic initiatives such as the opening of Apple Stores (Apple Stores), Apple’s physical stores, and the planning of Apple Park also date back to Jobs’ tenure.
During Tim Cook’s tenure as CEO, hardware such as the Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod, AirTag, and Vision Pro were introduced. Furthermore, with Apple Silicon processors, the company took a significant step towards hardware independence by switching to its own chipsets.
On the software side, the Swift programming language, Apple Pay, and artificial intelligence-powered Apple Intelligence have been launched. The company has also diversified its revenue model with subscription-based digital services such as Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+.
There is currently no official announcement regarding when Cook will resign from his position. However, it is rumored that he may assume the role of chairman of the board in addition to his role as CEO in the future.
