As of 2024, major Apple shareholders comprised Warren Buffet‘s Berkshire Hathaway with 5.92% of the company’s stock (valued at nearly $170 billion as of February 2024). Followed by other individual shareholders like Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, with about 3.3 million shares, and Artur Levinson, chairman of Apple, with over 4.5 million shares. Top institutional investors comprise The Vanguard Group with 8.27% ownership and BlackRock with 6.66% ownership.
Aspect
Description
Analysis
Examples
Products and Services
Apple offers a range of consumer electronics, including iPhones, iPads, Macintosh computers, Apple Watches, Apple TVs, and AirPods. The company also provides software and digital services such as the iOS and macOS operating systems, the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud, and various productivity and creativity apps.
Apple generates revenue from the sale of hardware, software, and digital services. The company’s ecosystem approach, where hardware and software are tightly integrated, fosters customer loyalty and a seamless user experience. Digital services like the App Store and Apple Music provide recurring revenue streams.
iPhones, iPads, Macintosh computers, Apple Watches, Apple TVs, AirPods, iOS, macOS, App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud, digital services, ecosystem approach, customer loyalty, recurring revenue streams.
Revenue Streams
Apple’s primary revenue streams come from the sale of hardware products, with the iPhone being the largest contributor. The company also generates revenue from software and digital services, including app sales and subscriptions. Additionally, Apple earns income from accessories, such as AirPods and cases.
Hardware sales, particularly iPhones, form the core revenue stream for Apple. The company’s vast user base contributes to software and digital service revenues, driven by app sales and subscription models. Accessories complement the ecosystem and add to the overall income.
Revenue from hardware sales, iPhone sales, software and digital services, app sales, subscription models, accessory sales, diversified income sources.
Customer Segments
Apple serves a wide range of customer segments, including consumers, businesses, educational institutions, and creative professionals. Its products and services cater to individuals seeking premium consumer electronics and software solutions. Apple’s devices are popular among professionals for tasks like content creation, design, and development.
Apple caters to diverse customer segments with varied needs, from consumers seeking premium tech products to professionals relying on Apple devices for work and creativity. The company’s products and services are known for their quality, design, and user experience, appealing to a broad audience.
Apple distributes its products primarily through its own retail stores, the Apple Online Store, and authorized resellers. The company’s iOS and macOS platforms provide access to the App Store, where users can download apps and digital content. Apple also partners with mobile carriers worldwide to offer iPhones with subscription plans.
Apple’s distribution channels include a global network of retail stores, an online store, and authorized resellers, ensuring wide accessibility. The App Store serves as a digital distribution platform for apps and content. Partnerships with mobile carriers expand reach and offer iPhones with data plans.
Retail stores, online store, authorized resellers, App Store, digital distribution, mobile carrier partnerships, global accessibility, iPhone subscription plans.
Key Partnerships
Apple collaborates with app developers and content creators who contribute to its app ecosystem. The company also partners with mobile carriers to distribute iPhones with data plans. Suppliers provide components for Apple’s hardware products. Apple Music and Apple TV+ partner with artists, musicians, and production studios for content creation.
App developers and content creators play a vital role in expanding Apple’s app ecosystem. Mobile carrier partnerships make iPhones more accessible to consumers. Suppliers are integral in the production of Apple’s hardware components. Collaborations with artists, musicians, and studios enhance content offerings in Apple Music and Apple TV+.
Key resources for Apple include its extensive research and development (R&D) capabilities, design expertise, manufacturing facilities, supply chain management, software development teams, the App Store, and a vast retail network. Apple’s R&D investments drive innovation and product development. Its design philosophy emphasizes aesthetics and user experience. Manufacturing and supply chain efficiency ensure product availability. The App Store is a valuable digital asset, and the retail network enhances customer engagement.
Apple’s core strengths encompass R&D capabilities, design excellence, manufacturing and supply chain efficiency, software development prowess, the App Store’s digital ecosystem, and a global retail network. R&D investments drive technological advancement and innovation. The focus on design aesthetics and user experience sets Apple apart in the market. Efficient manufacturing and supply chain management maintain product availability. The App Store and retail presence enhance customer engagement and loyalty.
Research and development capabilities, design excellence, manufacturing efficiency, supply chain management, software development, App Store, digital ecosystem, retail network, technological innovation, design aesthetics, customer engagement.
Cost Structure
Apple incurs various costs, including expenses related to research and development, design, manufacturing, marketing and advertising campaigns, employee salaries and benefits, supply chain management, retail operations, and customer support. The company also invests in data centers and data security measures for its digital services.
Costs associated with Apple’s operations encompass R&D expenditures, design expenses, manufacturing costs, marketing and advertising campaign investments, employee compensation, supply chain management, retail operation costs, customer support expenses, data center investments, and data security measures. Maintaining a strong retail presence and ensuring data security are significant operational expenses.
Research and development expenses, design costs, manufacturing expenditures, marketing and advertising campaign investments, employee compensation, supply chain management costs, retail operation expenses, customer support expenditures, data center investments, data security measures, operational costs.
Competitive Advantage
Apple’s competitive advantage is built on its ecosystem approach, which seamlessly integrates hardware, software, and services. The company’s commitment to design aesthetics and user experience creates a strong brand following. Apple’s focus on privacy and security enhances customer trust. The App Store’s curated content and developer ecosystem set high standards for quality and security.
Apple’s ecosystem approach fosters customer loyalty by providing a seamless user experience across devices and services. Design excellence and a strong brand create a dedicated user base. Commitment to privacy and security builds trust. The App Store’s curation and developer ecosystem maintain high standards for content quality and security, differentiating Apple in the market.
Ecosystem approach, hardware-software-services integration, design aesthetics, user experience, customer loyalty, privacy and security focus, brand strength, App Store curation, developer ecosystem, content quality standards.
If Steve Jobs kept Apple’s IPO stocks until the end, he’d probably be worth over a hundred billion dollars; since Apple in 2022 passed the $2.5 trillion valuation, Steve Jobs initially had an 11% stake in the company.
Thus his stake would have been worth over $250 billion.
However, when he left the company – after he was ousted – he sold his Apple stocks. It was 1985. He used that money to buy Pixar.
In 2006 Pixar got sold to Disney, and Steve Jobs got around an 8% stake in the company in exchange.
As shown in Walt Disney financials, Laurene Powell Jobs Trust still owned 7.8% of the company’s stocks in 2016, corresponding to 128,301,176 shares. As of 2018, that information is missing, which tells us that Jobs’ wife sold part of those stocks.
Thus, going below the 5% shares ownership:
From Walt Disney Proxy Statement of 2016
What about Apple Inc.?
Suppose we look back at Apple Inc. Ownership structure in 2011, when Steve Jobs left us, we can see how many stocks he owned at the time:
Those stocks, which amounted to 5,546,451, comprised 0.60% of the company (on a total of 921,043,522 shares at the time), which was held indirectly through a trust fund.
We don’t know how many stocks of Apple and Disney the trust run by Jobs’ wife owns. As the ownership has gone below the 5%, there is no obligation to file a report as a shareholder.
That is why Apple’s ownership, you might not see Steve Jobs.
Does Steve Wozniak still own Apple’s stocks?
To understand Steve Wozniak’s position when it comes to money, it is worth recounting what he said at the Nordic Business Forum in Sweden, as reported by Investopedia:
When it shot up high, I said, ‘I don’t want to become one of those people that watches it, watches it, and cares about the number,'” Woz said. “I don’t want that kind of care in my life. Part of my happiness is not to have worries, so I sold it all — just got rid of it — except just enough to still experiment with.
I do not invest. I don’t do that stuff. I didn’t want to be near money, because it could corrupt your values.
In a 2014 thread – after the movie “Jobs” came out – with a long comment on Google+, Steve Wozniak stressed a few points:
And when Jobs (in the movie, but really a board does this) denied stock to the early garage team (some not even shown) I’m surprised that they chose not to show me giving about $10M of my own stock to them because it was the right thing. And $10M was a lot in that time.
Referring to the fact that Jobs had denied stock options to one of the early Apple employees from day one. Steve Wozniak gave away $10 million of his stocks.
Thus, even if that is expressed in Apple’s stocks that are way less than 5%, the amount required to be reported by law.
That is why you might not see Steve Wozniak among the Apple Inc. Investors.
What about the other investors?
When did Apple’s ownership change hands?
As reported on Apple’s proxy statement for 2018, “5,087,056,000 shares of Apple’s common stock were issued and outstanding as of 2018.
Unless otherwise indicated, all persons named as beneficial owners of Apple’s common stock have sole voting power and investment power concerning the shares indicated as beneficially owned.”
Apple’s mythical founders, Steve Jobs, and Wozniak, at that point already missed as they now owned less than five percent of the company’s stocks.
The first two top investors for Apple are institutional investors:
The Vanguard Group
BlackRock, Inc.
The top five Apple individual investors are:
Art Levinson
Art Levinson is an American businessman and Chairman of Apple Inc. since 2011. He was addressed as Chairman to replace Steve Jobs in 2011, after his death.
Tim Cook
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook was the former COO (chief operating officer) under Steve Jobs. Graduating from Auburn University in 1982, Cook spent 12 years at IBM. He joined Apple in 1998 until he became CEO in 2011.
Bruce Sewell
Sewell is an Apple executive who joined the company from Intel Corporation in 2009. He announced his retirement in 2017 after eight years of leading the company’s legal and security efforts.
Al Gore
Former US Vice President Al Gore has been sitting on Apple’s board of directors since 2003. Apple reported at the time, “Al brings an incredible wealth of knowledge and wisdom to Apple from having helped run the largest organization in the world—the United States government—as a Congressman, Senator, and our 45th Vice President. Al is also an avid Mac user and does his own video editing in Final Cut Pro,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Al is going to be a terrific Director, and we’re excited and honored that he has chosen Apple as his first private sector board to serve on.”
In February 2017, Al Gore sold part of its Apple stocks – more precisely, he sold 215,437 stocks at $136.72 as reported to the SEC – which netted him over $29 million.
According to the Apple proxy statement, he still owns 112,064 shares which, if he was going to sell at the current price – $215.36 – he could sell for over $24 million.
Johny Sroujli
Johny Srouji is Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies, which now reports to CEO Tim Cook. He joined Apple in 2008 after working at Intel and IBM.
Apple’s KPIs
Apple Corporate Governance
Key takeaway
Apple Inc. had a troubled history where it changed ownership several times. When the company was going public, Steve Jobs didn’t recognize ownership of some of the early employees.
That is why Steve Wozniak sold to those early employees at a symbolic price of $10 million worth of stocks.
Thus, he became a minor shareholder in comparison to Steve Jobs.
When Jobs was ousted from the company in 1985, he sold his Apple shares and moved on to Pixar.
When Disney acquired Pixar, Jobs got almost 8% of the company.
At his death, the shares went to its trust, now managed by his wife. Part of the stocks in Apple and Disney were liquidated below 5%.
Thus making it impossible to know exactly how many shares the Jobs Trust owns.
Apple Inc. is owned by two main institutional investors (Vanguard Group and BlackRock, Inc).
At the same time, its major individual shareholders comprise people like Art Levinson, Tim Cook, Bruce Sewell, Al Gore, Johny Sroujli, and others.
Notice that former US Vice President, Al Gore, has been on Apple’s board of directors since 2003. In 2017, Al Gore sold part of his shares for over $29 million.
Now he owns a remaining 112,064 shares that, at today’s value, are worth over $24 million.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
