# Apple Inc.

> American multinational technology company based in Cupertino, California

**Wikidata**: [Q312](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q312)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/apple-inc

## Summary

Apple Inc. was founded on April 1, 1976[1] by Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne, and Steve Jobs[2][3][4]. Its headquarters is located in Cupertino[5]. The company operates in the software industry, consumer electronics industry, digital distribution, and electronics industry[6][7]. Its CEO is Tim Cook[8]. Apple Inc. produces products including Apple TV, Apple Watch, iPod, iMac, computer hardware, and networking hardware.

## Summary
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California. Founded in 1976, the company designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services. It is known for its hardware products, including the Mac family of personal computers, the iPod line of portable media players, and the Apple Watch.

## Key Facts
- **Founded**: April 1, 1976
- **Founders**: Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne, and Steve Jobs
- **Headquarters**: Cupertino, California, USA
- **Current CEO**: Tim Cook (since August 24, 2011)
- **Industries**: Consumer electronics industry, software industry, information technology, digital distribution
- **Stock Exchange**: Nasdaq (Ticker: AAPL)
- **Key Products**: Mac, iPod (2001), Apple TV (2007), Apple Watch (2015), AirPods (2016), HomePod (2018)
- **Employees**: 164,000 (as of 2022)
- **Motto**: "Think different."

## FAQs
### Q: Who founded Apple Inc.?
A: Apple Inc. was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne, and Steve Jobs.

### Q: Who is the current CEO of Apple?
A: The current CEO of Apple is Tim Cook. He assumed the role on August 24, 2011, succeeding Steve Jobs.

### Q: What are some of Apple's main products?
A: Apple's primary product areas are computer hardware and software. Notable products include the Mac family of personal computers, the iPod line of portable media players, the Apple TV digital media player, the Apple Watch smartwatch, AirPods wireless earbuds, and the HomePod smart speaker.

### Q: Where is Apple Inc. headquartered?
A: Apple Inc. is headquartered in Cupertino, California. Its primary corporate campus, which opened in 2018, is known as Apple Park.

## Why It Matters
Apple Inc. is a central and defining company in the global technology sector, recognized as a member of the "Big Tech" group. Its influence extends across consumer electronics, personal computing, and digital content distribution, where it competes directly with other giants like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. The company's financial scale is immense, having been the first publicly traded U.S. company to be valued at over $1 trillion in 2018, with annual revenues consistently in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

The company's focus on product design and user experience, encapsulated by its motto "Think different," has had a profound impact on industry standards and consumer expectations. By creating a tightly integrated ecosystem of hardware, software, and services, Apple has shaped how millions of people communicate, work, and consume media. Its role as a major employer, a component of key stock market indices like the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq-100, and a driver of the app economy makes it a significant force in both technology and the global economy.

## Notable For
- **Pioneering Personal Computing**: Apple was instrumental in the rise of the personal computer with its Mac family of computers.
- **Market Capitalization Milestones**: The company was the first publicly traded U.S. company to achieve a market capitalization of $1 trillion (August 2, 2018), later surpassing $2 trillion and $3 trillion.
- **Integrated Hardware and Software Ecosystem**: Apple is distinguished by its vertically integrated model, creating both the hardware (e.g., Mac, Apple Watch) and the operating systems and software that run on them.
- **Iconic Product Design**: The company is renowned for its distinctive product design and marketing, establishing a powerful and recognizable global brand.
- **Leadership in Consumer Electronics**: Apple has created and led multiple consumer electronics categories with products like the iPod portable media player and the Apple Watch smartwatch.

## Body
### History and Leadership
Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne, and Steve Jobs in Los Altos, California. The company was officially incorporated on January 3, 1977.

**CEO History:**
- **Michael Scott** (1977–1981)
- **Mike Markkula** (1981–1983)
- **John Sculley** (1983–1993)
- **Michael Spindler** (1993–1996)
- **Gil Amelio** (1996–1997)
- **Steve Jobs** (1997–2011)
- **Tim Cook** (2011–Present)

### Corporate Information
- **Official Name**: Apple Inc.
- **Legal Form**: Public company, Corporation
- **Headquarters**: The company's current headquarters is Apple Park, located at 1 Apple Park Way, Cupertino, California. It was previously headquartered at the Apple Campus at 1 Infinite Loop from 1993 to 2018.
- **Motto**: "Think different."
- **Stock Listing**: Apple is traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol AAPL. It is a component of the Nasdaq-100, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and S&P 500 indices.

### Products and Industry
Apple operates primarily in the information technology, consumer electronics, and software industries. Its business includes the development and sale of computer hardware, software, and digital distribution services.

**Key Hardware Products:**
- **Mac**: A family of personal computers.
- **iPod**: A line of portable media players, first introduced on October 23, 2001.
- **Apple TV**: A home media receiver device, first released in 2007.
- **Apple Watch**: A line of smartwatches, launched on April 24, 2015.
- **AirPods**: Wireless earbuds first released on September 7, 2016.
- **HomePod**: A smart speaker that debuted on February 9, 2018.

### Subsidiaries
Apple owns several subsidiary companies, including:
- **Beats Electronics**: Acquired in 2014.
- **FileMaker, Inc.**: A computer software company.
- **drive.ai**: An artificial intelligence company.
- **DarwinAI**: A software company based in Canada.
- **Braeburn Capital**: An asset management firm started in 2005.

### Competitors
Apple competes with numerous major technology companies across its various markets. Key competitors identified in the source material include:
- **Microsoft**: Competes in software, cloud computing, and consumer electronics.
- **Google (Alphabet Inc.)**: Competes in consumer electronics and digital services.
- **Amazon**: Competes in cloud computing and digital services.
- **Hewlett-Packard**: Competes in the personal computer market.
- **IBM**: Competes in enterprise IT services.
- **Nintendo**: Competes in consumer electronics and video game hardware.

## Schema Markup
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}

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lobbyfacts.eu/datacard/apple-inc?rid=588327811384-96)
2. [Source](https://guides.loc.gov/this-month-in-business-history/april/apple-computer-founded)
3. [BBC News Online](http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35940300)
4. The Daily Telegraph
5. [Source](https://money.cnn.com/quote/shareholders/shareholders.html?symb=AAPL&subView=institutional)
6. [Source](https://apple.com)
7. [Apple](https://apple.com)
8. [Source](http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/AAPL/5705749862x0x962680/D18FAEFF-460A-4168-993D-A60CBA8ED209/_10-K_2017_As-Filed_.pdf)
9. [TNW](http://thenextweb.com/apple/2011/08/25/a-look-at-apples-ceos-from-1977-to-2011/)
10. [Source](https://www.apple.com/stevejobs/)
11. [Source](https://www.apple.com/leadership/tim-cook/)
12. Virtual International Authority File
13. Library of Congress Authorities
14. BnF authorities
15. CiNii Research
16. [Source](https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/6/20751711/filemaker-rebrands-claris-apple-subsidiary-new-app-ceo)
17. [Source](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-11/apple-is-said-to-acquire-israeli-component-maker-anobit-for-390-million.html)
18. [Source](http://www.beatsbydre.com/aboutus)
19. [Source](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_14_663)
20. [Source](https://www.cnbc.com/dow-30/)
21. [The Washington Post. 2019](https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/11/25/silicon-six-spread-propaganda-its-time-regulate-social-media-sites/)
22. [Source](https://www.ishares.com/us/products/239723/ishares-sp-100-etf)
23. MusicBrainz
24. [Source](https://www.apple.com)
25. Bundestag Lobby Register
26. ROR release v1.19
27. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
28. [Source](http://www.isin.org/isin-database/isin-view/?isin=US0378331005)
29. [Virtual International Authority File](http://www.viaf.org/viaf/154701873/)
30. [Source](https://www.apple.com/iphone)
31. National Software Reference Library
32. [Form 10-K. 2018](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000032019318000145/a10-k20189292018.htm)
33. [Apple Annual Report 2020 K-10. Form 10-K](https://s2.q4cdn.com/470004039/files/doc_financials/2020/ar/_10-K-2020-(As-Filed).pdf)
34. [Source](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000162828016020309/a201610-k9242016.htm)
35. [Source](https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0000320193/42ede86f-6518-450f-bc88-60211bf39c6d.pdf)
36. [Source](https://www.statista.com/statistics/273439/number-of-employees-of-apple-since-2005/)
37. [Source](http://www.linux-usb.org/usb.ids)
38. [Source](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201232)
39. BBC Things
40. [Source](http://km.aifb.kit.edu/services/crunchbase/)
41. [Source](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/pdfs/Q4-FY18-Consolidated-Financial-Statements.pdf)
42. [Form 10-K](https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0000320193/1a919118-a594-44f3-92f0-4ecca47b1a7d.pdf)
43. [Apple Financial Results 2020](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/pdfs/FY20_Q4_Consolidated_Financial_Statements.pdf)
44. [Apple Financial Results 2021](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/pdfs/FY21_Q4_Consolidated_Financial_Statements.pdf)
45. [Apple Inc. - 2023 Form 10-K](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000032019323000106/aapl-20230930.htm#i1cb1ba018cb1455aa66bd3f9ab0c5b1a_85)
46. [Source](http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/AAPL/2455835133x0xS1193125-15-356351/320193/filing.pdf)
47. [Form 10-K. 2016](http://investor.apple.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1628280-16-20309&CIK=320193#A201610-K9242016_HTM_SE78948B641FF55EDB70F7F75DDCB7673)
48. [Form 10-K](https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000032019321000105/aapl-20210925.htm)
49. [Form 10-K. 2010](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000320193/000119312510238044/d10k.htm)
50. [Form 10-K. 2011](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000320193/000119312511282113/d220209d10k.htm)