To The Moon

The Beginning. $Apple(AAPL)$ began as a modest startup in a California garage in 1976, founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who sought to make computers accessible and user-friendly for everyday people. It was a singular vision realized with the Apple I and (especially) the Apple II, that fueled the company’s early exponential growth. Critical Products. Over decades, AAPL redefined consumer electronics through relentless innovation, introducing groundbreaking products like the: Macintosh. iPod. iPhone. iPad. The blending of sleek design with powerful technology, created a loyal global customer base. From its humble origins, Apple’s dedication to intuitive, integrated products and evocative marketing propelled it to become the world’s first company to surpass a $3 trillion market cap, symbolizing the transformation of a garage-born idea into a historic tech titan. CEOs - Past & Present. The 49 year old tech company has had 7 CEOs. Michael Scott (1977–1981). Mike Markkula (1981–1983). John Sculley (1983–1993). Jobs left AAPL on 16 Sep 1985. Michael Spindler (1993–1996). Gil Amelio (1996–1997). Steve Jobs (1997–2011). Jobs lost his fight against pancreatic cancer on 5 Nov 2011. Tim Cook (2011–present). Cook transitioned from COO to CEO on 24 Aug 2011. For The Record. It was under the CEO-ships of Jobs and then Cook, that AAPL’s valuation soared to new heights. (see below) Under Jobs, AAPL’s market cap went from $2.5 billion to $350 billion, in 13 years and 11 months. Under Cook, AAPL’s market cap went from $347 billion to $3.7 trillion or $3,700 billion over 14 years and 1 month (as of 10 Oct 2025) period. AAPL share price - under Steve Jobs & Tim Cook What did the last 2 CEOs do to make AAPL what it is today? Steve Jobs (1997 - 2011). Product Visionary. Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 during a time of crisis. Over the next 13 years, he delivered breakthrough products that redefined industries, from the original iMac and iPod to the game-changing iPhone and iPad. They weren’t just gadgets, they reshaped how people interact with technology. The launch of the App Store in 2008 also set the foundation for AAPL’s massive software and services ecosystem, now a major profit center for AAPL. Tim Cook (2011 - present [2025] ). Scaler & Strategist. When Cook took over in 2011, many questioned if AAPL could continue innovating. His ‘acute’ operational acumen enabled the company to scale globally, optimize margins, and diversify revenue streams. Under Cook’s leadership, Apple launched the (a) Apple Watch, (b) AirPods, (c) Apple Pay, and (d) custom silicon (M1 chip), while significantly expanding its services segment. Today, AAPL’s ecosystem includes hardware, services, entertainment, and finance. Cook has successfully shepherded the company into new growth areas, helping it weather challenges like supply chain crises and slowing smartphone growth. Latest Spotlight. Tim Cook’s tenure as Apple CEO is indeed widely expected to be coming to an end within the next few years, as internal succession planning and executive reshuffling intensifies at AAPL in late 2025. Cook himself, has made no official announcement regarding his retirement or resignation, and most sources confirm he remains in his role for now, approaching his 65th birthday in November 2025. Succession Planning John Ternus Apple has reportedly begun formal discussions around leadership transition, with Hardware Engineering, Senior VP, John Ternus seen as the top internal candidate to replace Cook when the time comes. Other key executives like Jeff Williams (formerly COO) are either departing or stepping out of succession contention, heightening focus on Ternus’ candidacy. Speculation & Timeline Tim Cook remains CEO as of October 2025 and has not publicly committed to any end date for his tenure. Cook is expected to remain in place at least through the next few quarters, with some speculation he may step down following (1) the launch of a major new Apple product or (2) after his next birthday. Industry analysts expect when Cook eventually steps down, he will likely remain on an advisory or board chairman role, similar to transitions by Jeff Bezos ($Amazon.com(AMZN)$ ) and Bill Gates ($Microsoft(MSFT)$ ). Executives Movement. AAPL is experiencing a wave of top management departures, including COO Jeff Williams (by end 2025) and other longtime executives, marking the most significant leadership transition, in over a decade. This signals an organizational shift and suggests AAPL is actively positioning itself for: New challenges, particularly around AI. New product categories. In summary, Tim Cook’s eventual departure from AAPL as CEO is anticipated & increasingly planned-for internally but is not immediately imminent as of October 2025. My Viewpoints: (mine only). Based on numbers per se, Jobs is a “more” success CEO than Cook: He increased AAPL’s market cap by +13,900%. Cook increased it further by +966.28%. Having said that, both of them operate in vastly different environment / landscape. Technology Landscape. In the late 90s to early 2000s, consumer technology landscape was still in its early internet and mobile phases. Competition largely centered around desktop PCs and nascent smartphone technologies. Jobs drove product-centric innovation, tight control over hardware/software integration, and simple but sleek, iconic design helped lay the foundation for AAPL’s customer base. When Cook ascended the pole position, the landscape has morphed and shifted to cloud services, AI, subscription ecosystems, and global connectivity. Subsequent products launched (eg. Apple Watch, AirPods, App Store, iCloud, Apple Music) centred around new technologies. The market, hence products evolved to be defined by platform ecosystems, data-driven services, and rapid technological disruption from AI, with competition from giants like $Alphabet(GOOG)$, Microsoft, and Amazon. Compliance & Regulation. Equally different is the legal framework both CEOs have been subjected to. Jobs operated in a period of relatively lax tech regulation. AAPL's primary regulatory concern was maintaining its closed ecosystem and defending intellectual property (IP), seen in high-profile cases against Microsoft and Samsung. Antitrust scrutiny was growing but less intense compared to later years. By Cook’s time, business environment became increasingly regulated. Governments (the world over) scrutinizes Big Tech dominance across app stores, device ecosystems, and user privacy. AAPL faces antitrust probes over App Store practices, privacy issues, and global competition law compliance. EU and US regulators till today, still regularly investigate AAPL for anti-competitive behaviour, forcing greater transparency and operational change compared to Jobs era. The contrast reflects dramatic shifts in both technology & regulatory environments, with AAPL's priorities adapting accordingly throughout the 2 leaders' tenures. New CEO Challenges. Whoever is stepping in to fill the “big” shoes left by Cook, will face a set of new challenges unlike those of his/her predecessors - Jobs or Cook: (1) Beyond iPhone Innovation. CEOs of US tech giants have been preaching about the “demise” of mobile phone. Elon Musk “painted” a future where devices such as neural interfaces, (likely developed by Neuralink), will make smartphones obsolete. He envisions direct brain-computer interaction evolving far beyond touchscreen-based mobile devices. Let’s see him take the lead and walk the walk, instead of just blah, blah, blah… Zuckerberg has argued the rise of augmented reality (AR) & virtual reality (VR), (thru’ platform like Meta's Quest), will diminish the long-term dominance of smartphones. He emphasizes spatial computing and immersive environments as the next major user interface evolution. Looks like he has not given up hope on his Metaverse, a project that caused $Meta Platforms, Inc.(META)$ to be at its weakest & lowest. Nadella has predicted that cloud-based computing, wearables, and next-gen AI assistants will eventually reduce reliance on traditional smartphones. The Microsoft CEO, promotes an ecosystem where computing is ambient and spread across multiple smart devices, not just phones. Jensen Huang hedged his vision in advances in AI and edge devices’ integrated with computing power into everything, from cars to consumer electronics, diminishing phones’ role as the central hub. Therein lies the continuation reliance on his AI-chips, ha ha ha! It is obvious that each IT CEO wants global consumers to adopt its product, to propel it to the #1 position. Only Microsoft’s vision is the most realistic & practical due to (a) diverse and different global adoption rate (affordability related) and (b) consumers’ freedom of options / choice. (2) Accelerating AI Leadership The one area where AAPL’s Tim Cook has not firmly succeeded is AI implementation. Its rivals (GOOG, MSFT) are continuing to invest heavily and aggressively pushing AI out across their platforms. AAPL needs to rapidly improve its AI capabilities, especially around Siri and device integration, to remain relevant and competitive. (3) Supply Chain Complexity & Geopolitics AAPL’s vast global supply chain is vulnerable to (a) geopolitical upheaval, (b) trade disputes (notably US-China tensions), and (c) shifting regulatory frameworks. Ensuring resilience and flexibility amid these uncertainties will remain a significant operational challenge. Cook's $600 billion pledge of domestic investment will not completely eliminate AAPL’s global supply chain risks. It will contribute meaningful progress towards greater resilience and cost mitigation amid geopolitical upheaval and trade disputes. It also aligns AAPL more closely with the Trump government policy priorities, potentially cushioning against further tariffs or regulatory pressures. Incoming CEO will have to see through this commitment. (4) Money, Money, Money. Last but not least, new CEO must build upon the foundation of services and wearables and grow its revenue (most important). This will be achieved through exploring new technologies, business models, and markets to ensure AAPL does not rely too heavily on any single product line. Will it include growing segments like (i) financial services and (ii) health technology ? Time will tell. Considering all above, will AAPL reach the $5 trillion market cap soon during Cook’s tenure as CEO, OR will it happen under new CEO, as proof of his capability ? Remember to check out my other posts. (See below). Help to Repost ok, Thanks. Must Read: Click on below titles to access. Repost to share, Like as encouragement ok. Thanks. ORCL : Any Miracles Left In Comeback Kid ? Tue, 14 October. Pick post. US Market - Rally or Retreat, This Week ? Mon, 13 October. Pick post. Quantum Soaring Twins, RGTI & QBTS - A Buy ? Fri, 10 October. Idea post. Do you think AAPL will hit the $5 trillion mark during Cook’s CEO tenure ’? Do you think John Ternus will have his work cut out for him if he becomes AAPL’s next CEO ? If you find this post interesting, give it wings! ️ Repost and share the insights ? Do consider “Follow me” and get firsthand read of my daily new post. Thank you. @Daily_Discussion @TigerPM @TigerStars @Tiger_SG @TigerEvents