Cook Steps Down as Apple CEO, Leaving Behind a Legacy of Growth

Steve Jobs' handpicked successor, Tim Cook, has been instrumental in Apple's success over the past 15 years. After taking over as CEO in August 2011, Cook oversaw significant growth in various product segments, including iPhone availability, Apple Watch and AirPods sales, and Apple's services segment.

According to calculations, if you had invested $10,000 in Apple stock when Jobs resigned and Cook took over, your investment would be worth approximately $289,500 today. This is due in part to the dividend initiated by Cook in 2012, which has returned some of Apple's free cash flow to shareholders every quarter.

Cook will step down as CEO at the end of the month, with John Ternus taking over on September 1. Ternus faces the challenge of building out Apple's AI capabilities, which could be a significant opportunity for the company. Despite Cook's departure, investors expect strong results in the fourth and first quarters driven by demand from Apple's long-awaited Siri revamp and the new low-end MacBook Neo.