After taking the helm just before Steve Jobs’s death, Tim Cook grew Apple’s value from $297 billion to $4 trillion by scaling the iPhone, overhauling manufacturing, and pushing Services. He built a just-in-time supply chain in China, launched products like AirPods and Watch, and prioritized shareholder returns even amid App Store policy debates.

• Cook took over six weeks before Jobs's death and grew Apple's market value from $297 billion to $4 trillion in 15 years, mainly by scaling and operationalizing Jobs's inventions rather than creating new ones.
• He built a just-in-time, China-based manufacturing supply chain with no significant recalls, and expanded peripherals like AirPods and Apple Watch into a $35.4 billion business.
• He kept Apple's 30% App Store fee intact despite internal pressure (from Phil Schiller) to cut it, prioritizing profit and gatekeeper control over ecosystem growth.
• The Google search-default deal on Safari, dating to 2002, remains a pure-profit revenue stream underpinning Apple's Services push.