Apple Sees Record-Breaking Growth as Cook Prepares to Hand Over Reins

Tim Cook is stepping down as CEO of Apple on September 1, 2026, and will be succeeded by John Ternus, who currently heads hardware engineering at the company.

Cook's tenure has been marked by significant financial success. Under his leadership, Apple's share price has increased by a staggering 2,230% since he took over on August 24, 2011. The total return is even higher at 2,680%, as the company has returned cash to shareholders through stock buybacks and reinstated its dividend.

To put this into perspective, an investment of $10,000 in Apple stock on Cook's first day would be worth $278,250 today, compared to just $86,600 if invested in the S&P 500 over the same period.