1 / 8Not many would know that Steve Jobs was not the first chief executive of Apple. In fact, the co-founder and arguably the face of Apple stepped up to the helm of the company only in 1997 — two decades after its inception. From the steadfast to the controversial, here’s a look at everyone who has served as the CEO of Apple in the 48 years since its incorporation.
2 / 8Michael Scott (1977-1981) | Michael Scott, Apple’s first CEO, was recruited by Mike Markkula — Apple’s original angel investor — to lead the company, as co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were deemed inexperienced. Under his leadership, Apple saw significant growth, including the 1977 launch of the Apple II after which Scott reportedly banned typewriters in the office. However, his tenure included challenges, such as “Black Wednesday” in 1981, when he fired over half of the Apple II engineering team. (Image: Engadget)
3 / 8Mike Markkula (1981-1983) | Known as Apple’s “forgotten founder,” Mike Markkula was its third employee and an early investor, contributing $250,000. A former Intel marketing manager, he brought corporate expertise to Apple, marketed its first computers, and secured funding. Markkula later served as chairman (1985-1997), leaving after a board shakeup when Jobs became CEO.
4 / 8John Sculley (1983-1993) | John Sculley, a former PepsiCo CEO, was hired to bring marketing expertise to Apple. His tenure saw internal turmoil, including Jobs’ ousting after a power struggle. Despite overseeing a significant period, his product strategy led to high costs and market confusion, contributing to $1.7 billion in losses. Sculley’s reputation suffered, with Conde Nast’s Portfolio ranking him the 14th worst CEO of all time. (Image: Reuters)
5 / 8Michael Spindler (1993-1996) | Michael Spindler, previously Apple’s European operations president, became CEO in 1993, replacing Sculley. His tenure was marked by failures, including the Newton and Copland OS — and brief takeover talks with IBM, Sun, and Philips — before Gil Amelio replaced him. (Image: Reuters)
6 / 8Gil Amelio (1996-1997) | Gil Amelio, Apple’s shortest-serving CEO, led from 1996 to 1997. Formerly President of National Semiconductor, he aimed to improve Apple’s product quality, introduced Mac OS 8, and acquired Steve Jobs’ NeXT for $429 million, ironically paving the way Jobs’ return to the company. However, Apple’s stock hit a 12-year low, and dissatisfaction among board members led to his ousting within a year, prompting Markkula’s resignation shortly after.
7 / 8Steve Jobs (1997-2011) | Though best known as Apple’s co-founder, Steve Jobs became CEO in 1997, initially in an interim capacity. After being ousted in 1985, Jobs founded NeXT and led Pixar, producing ‘Toy Story’. Returning to Apple in 1996, he became CEO, driving iconic innovations like the iPod, Mac OS X, iMac, iTunes, iPhone, and iPad, while shaping Apple’s sleek design identity. Jobs resigned in 2011 due to his battle with cancer. He died six weeks later. (Image: Reuters)
8 / 8Tim Cook (2011-present) | Tim Cook became Apple’s CEO in 2011, growing its workforce from 60,400 to 147,000 by 2021. Under his leadership, Apple launched products like the Apple Watch (2015) and AirPods (2016), while the iPhone remains its top seller, accounting for nearly half the company’s sales. Revenue has tripled during his tenure, rising from $28.57 billion in 2011 to $81.4 billion in 2021. Cook now faces challenges around government regulation and accusations of monopoly concerning the App Store. (Image: Reuters)
