Cook's Apple Legacy: A Masterclass in Succeeding a Legend

Tim Cook's departure as Apple CEO marks the end of an extraordinary tenure. He led the company for 15 years, succeeding Steve Jobs just weeks before his death in October 2011.

Cook took on the daunting task of following a legend and succeeded, quadrupling Apple's annual net sales to over $400 billion and catapulting its market capitalization from around $350 billion to $4.6 trillion during his tenure.

Adjusted for stock splits, Apple's stock price rose by nearly 2,300% under Cook, from about $13 to $317 at the close of his last day as CEO on August 30.

Cook's approach was a masterclass in succeeding a legend. He kept what worked, safeguarding the core values that Jobs instilled at Apple, such as focus, collaboration, and obsession with user experience.