GoKawiilis a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.
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Expectations for Tim Cook were almost impossibly high when he stepped in to replace Apple’s visionary cofounder in 2011. He inherited a company on a blockbuster run, after Steve Jobs returned and revitalized the Mac, launched the iPod, and oversaw the launch of the iPhone.
Now, after 15 years in the CEO role, Tim Cook is stepping down. He’s replaced today by hardware leader John Ternus. Over the course of Cook’s tenure, Apple accomplished a lot, with the launch of plenty of new products, features, and services that the company just wouldn’t be the same without. There were plenty of ups and downs, but Cook helped cement the company as one of the most profitable tech companies on the planet.
Here’s a look back at Cook’s legacy — including his biggest wins at the company and his biggest misses.
Win: Growing Apple’s services business
When Cook became CEO, he had a strange problem: The iPhone was so successful that it made up half of Apple’s revenue, and he needed to diversify. To do this, Cook turned to Apple’s services business, which began ramping up with the launch of the App Store in 2008. Under Cook, it has grown into a massive source of revenue for the company, topped only by sales from the iPhone. Though Steve Jobs originally announced iCloud in June 2011, Cook oversaw its launch after taking over as CEO just months later.
Last year, Apple reported earning $100 billion from all of its services combined.
Win: Apple silicon
Image: Apple
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