The Founding of Apple Computer, Inc This Month in Business History Research Guides at Library of Congress

Over time, Apple has grown into a trillion-dollar company, demonstrating the value of visionary leadership and innovation. The history of Apple ownership dates back to its founding in April 1976, when Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne decided to start their own business. At the time, Jobs and Wozniak had already become friends through their involvement in the Homebrew Computer Club and were looking for a way to turn their passion for technology into a business. These freely available online resources provide more information on Apple’s history and the current state of the company. Back in 1985 Sculley turned down an appeal from who owns apple now Microsoft founder Bill Gates to license its software. This decision would later come back to haunt him because Microsoft, whose Windows operating system (OS) featured a graphical interface similar to Apple’s, became their toughest competition in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s.

1. These moves elevated Apple to consistently be one of the world’s most valuable brands since about 2010.
2. Learn more about dividend stocks, including information about important dividend dates, the advantages of dividend stocks, dividend yield, and much more in our financial education center.
3. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs wanted Apple Park to look less like a business park and more like a nature refuge, and personally appeared before the Cupertino City Council in June 2011 to make the proposal, in his final public appearance before his death.
4. He stayed with the company and took the role as senior vice president of Mac Hardware Engineering, where he played a pivotal role in the development of the iMac and MacBook products.
5. Major shareholders can affect decision-making processes at Apple, as they own large percentages of the company’s stock, giving them voting power regarding some issues.
6. Back in 1985 Sculley turned down an appeal from Microsoft founder Bill Gates to license its software.

Top 3 Institutional Shareholders

Apple became the first publicly traded U.S. company to be valued at over $1 trillion in 2018, and, as of December 2024update, is valued at just over $3.74 trillion. Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and manufactures consumer electronics and software products. The actual number of acquisitions is possibly larger as Apple does not reveal the majority of its acquisitions unless discovered by the press. Apple has cofounded two half-equity partnerships and purchased equity stakes in three preexisting companies, and has made three divestments. Apple has not released the financial details for the majority of its mergers and acquisitions. Apple Inc. is collectively owned by its shareholders, comprising a mix of institutional investors, individual investors, and company insiders.

Founded in 1976 as Apple Computer Company by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, the company was incorporated by Jobs and Wozniak as Apple Computer, Inc. the following year. It was renamed Apple Inc. in 2007 as the company had expanded its focus from computers to consumer electronics. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue, with US$391.04 billion in the 2024 fiscal year. Other major institutional investors include Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which owns 1.98% of Apple shares worth $70 billion, State Street Corporation, with 3.86% at $137 billion, Geode Capital Management, LLC., with 2.21% at $78 billion, and BlackRock, Inc., at 7.23% valued at $257 billion.

How AI may force Google, Microsoft and others to push their nuclear energy game plan

Its shares are one of the best investments in the world due to its high profile and long history of success. Part of Apple, Inc., Apple (India) Pvt Ltd. is an Indian company that provides high-quality content and services like Apple TV+, Apple Music, and iCloud to help users maximize their device experience. The company offers durable and powerful devices with 5G connectivity, including the new iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone SE. Craig Federighi is currently the senior vice president of Software Engineering at Apple.

1. By 1985, internal company problems led to Jobs leaving to form NeXT, Inc., and Wozniak withdrawing to other ventures; John Sculley served as long-time CEO for over a decade.
2. The company reported almost $36 billion in earnings as of Sept. 30, 2023.
3. His net worth is estimated to be around $1.4 billion, and he owns about 0.03% of Apple stock, according to MarketScreener.
4. The building opened in April 2017 and houses more than 12,000 employees.
5. Mr. Williams worked in several roles at IBM from 1985 to 1998 before joining Apple.

When it comes to documents regarding the exact amount of stocks held by Jobs’ wife’s trust fund, there is conflicting data available; however, records from 2011 (when Jobs died) indicate that 5,546,451 shares were still held by it at that time representing a 0.60% stake in Apple Inc. As this percentage has gone below 5%, there is no obligation for information about such ownership to be reported, making it difficult to know what Steve Jobs’ widow currently holds. Apple Inc. is a publicly traded company, so no individual or entity owns the company. However, the company’s majority stakeholder as of 2024 is The Vanguard Group, which holds 8.91% of all outstanding shares. Tim Cook currently serves as Apple’s CEO, a position that he has held since succeeding Steve Jobs in 2011.

Shareholders can also call for special meetings and propose resolutions for consideration. Although Apple has traditionally had a decentralized approach concerning decision-making, having multiple stakeholders with various interests involved in major corporate events allows different perspectives to be considered. This helps foster collaboration between investors, executives, and employees, ultimately benefiting Apple’s direction. Apple’s shareholders have a significant degree of influence on the company’s decisions.

The company reported almost $36 billion in earnings as of Sept. 30, 2023. It also holds a sizable portfolio of equity securities valued at hundreds of billions of dollars. Tech giants like Apple, Google, and Microsoft are pushing for nuclear energy to power their AI technology and reduce environmental impact. Apple has received criticism regarding its contractors‘ labor practices, its relationship with trade unions, its environmental practices, and its business ethics, including anti-competitive practices and materials sourcing. Nevertheless, the company has a large following and enjoys a high level of brand loyalty. Get daily, no-fluff insights on the latest business models, startup strategies, and trends delivered straight to your inbox.

Apple Inc.’s world corporate headquarters are located in Cupertino, in the middle of California’s Silicon Valley, at Apple Park, a massive circular groundscraper building with a circumference of one mile (1.6 km). The building opened in April 2017 and houses more than 12,000 employees. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs wanted Apple Park to look less like a business park and more like a nature refuge, and personally appeared before the Cupertino City Council in June 2011 to make the proposal, in his final public appearance before his death. The iPhone is Apple’s line of smartphones, which run the iOS operating system. When it was introduced, its multi-touch screen was described as „revolutionary“ and a „game-changer“ for the mobile phone industry.

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As such, these major shareholders can exercise their influence over critical corporate events, such as executive compensation, dividend payouts, and capital expenditure decisions. The actions taken by these major stakeholders can also shape investor sentiment and securities allocations and play an integral role in impacting strategic business decisions made by the company. Fortune magazine articles about Wozniak’s net worth are around $100 million. Still, with this figure being expressed through stocks, which will result in less than 5%, it will not have been reported publicly, meaning we can’t determine if he still owns Apple shares. Bob Mansfield is a former senior vice president of Technologies at Apple. After earning his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas, Bob went on to become the vice president of Engineering at Raycer Graphics, which was acquired by Apple in 1999.

Previous to his work at Compaq, Tim was the chief operating officer of the Reseller Division at Intelligent Electronics. You must be a shareholder on or before the next ex-dividend date to receive the upcoming dividend. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) is one of the company’s largest exchange traded funds (ETFs) with about $1.0 trillion in net assets as of Jan. 31, 2024.

Cook holds an industrial engineering degree from Auburn University and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business; after graduating from Auburn, Cook worked as a director in IBM’s (IBM ) personal computer business for 12 years. Cook joined Apple in 1998 and his first role was senior vice president of Worldwide Operations; today, he also resides on the board of directors for Nike (NKE ) and the National Football Foundation