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Organization

Apple

American maker of computers, phones and software. It started as a partnership on 1 April 1976 and was incorporated in California on 3 January 1977.

27 links, 23 backed by primary records

Play the story Explore connections

Dates
1976 –
Also known as
Apple Computer Company, Apple Computer, Inc., Apple Inc.
Over time
  1. Active 1976 –
  2. board members Mike Markkula Mar 1977 – 5 Aug 1997
  3. board members Steve Jobs Mar 1977 – 17 Sep 1985
  4. board members Mike Markkula (Vice Chairman of the Board) 1981–1993
  5. board members Steve Jobs 5 Aug 1997 – 5 Oct 2011
  6. CEO Steve Jobs 10 Sep 1997 – 24 Aug 2011
  7. board members Arthur Levinson 2000 –
  8. CEO Tim Cook 24 Aug 2011 – 1 Sep 2026
  9. board members Susan Wagner 2014 –

6 more in the Timeline ›

Who holds Apple

Connections 27

founded by

CEO

chaired by

board members

investors

  • Mike Markkula Nov 1977 8,320,000 shares of common stock, paid in cash, $91,000 Primary record 23

stakeholders

  • Ronald Wayne 1–12 Apr 1976 10%, as of 1 Apr 1976 Scholarship & press 14

    Wayne withdrew from the partnership eleven days after signing.

  • Steve Jobs 1 Apr 1976 45%, as of 1 Apr 1976 Scholarship & press 1
  • Steve Wozniak 1 Apr 1976 45%, as of 1 Apr 1976 Scholarship & press 1
  • Mike Markkula 30 Nov 1980 14%, 7,029,448 shares, as of 30 Nov 1980 Primary record 2
  • Steve Jobs 30 Nov 1980 15%, 7,542,448 shares, as of 30 Nov 1980 Primary record 2
Timeline 28 dates
  1. 1976 – Apple
  2. 1 Apr 1976 Ronald Wayne founded Apple
  3. 1 Apr 1976 Steve Jobs founded Apple
  4. 1 Apr 1976 Steve Wozniak founded Apple
  5. 1–12 Apr 1976 Ronald Wayne owns a stake in Apple
  6. 1 Apr 1976 Steve Jobs owns a stake in Apple
  7. 1 Apr 1976 Steve Wozniak owns a stake in Apple
  8. Mar 1977 – 5 Aug 1997 Mike Markkula board member of Apple
  9. Mar 1977 – 17 Sep 1985 Steve Jobs board member of Apple
  10. May 1977 – 1981 Mike Markkula chair of Apple
  11. Nov 1977 Mike Markkula invested in Apple
  12. 30 Nov 1980 Mike Markkula owns a stake in Apple
  13. 30 Nov 1980 Steve Jobs owns a stake in Apple
  14. 1981–1983 Mike Markkula CEO of Apple
  15. 1981–1993 Mike Markkula board member of Apple
  16. Oct 1993 – Feb 1996 Mike Markkula chair of Apple
  17. 5 Aug 1997 – 5 Oct 2011 Steve Jobs board member of Apple
  18. 10 Sep 1997 – 24 Aug 2011 Steve Jobs CEO of Apple
  19. 2000 – Arthur Levinson board member of Apple
  20. Aug 2006 – 3 Aug 2009 Eric Schmidt board member of Apple
  21. 24 Aug 2011 – 1 Sep 2026 Tim Cook CEO of Apple
  22. 24 Aug 2011 – 5 Oct 2011 Steve Jobs chair of Apple
  23. 24 Aug 2011 Tim Cook board member of Apple
  24. 15 Nov 2011 Arthur Levinson chair of Apple
  25. 2014 – Susan Wagner board member of Apple
  26. 1 Sep 2026 John Ternus CEO of Apple
  27. 1 Sep 2026 Tim Cook chair of Apple
  28. 1 Sep 2026 John Ternus board member of Apple
Proof 17 sources
  1. Apple computer contract and dissolution of contract signed by Jobs, Wozniak and Wayne (3 documents), Fine Books and Manuscripts sale N08811, lot 241, Sotheby's, Dec 2011. Scholarship & press
    Wayne spells out the shares—"JOBS is herewith assigned a total of fourty-five percent (45%) of all rights, title, and interest in and to the COMPANY, and all assets there contained"—as was Wozniak.
    Two typed documents signed by "Stephen G. Wozniak", "steven p. jobs", "Ronald G.. Wayne": Apple Computer Company Partnership Agreement, dated 1 April 1976
    Jobs offered Wayne a 10% share in Apple Computers.
    Eleven days after signing the partnership into existence, Wayne filed a statement of withdrawal from the Apple Computer Company with the County of Santa Clara and signed an amendment to the original 1 April agreement, in which Jobs and Wozniak agree to pay him $800
  2. Apple Computer, Inc. preliminary prospectus for its stock option plans and employee stock purchase plan, dated 31 December 1980 (released by the SEC under FOIA request 18-02062), Apple, 31 Dec 1980. Primary record
    Steven P. Jobs 7,542,448 15.0
    A. C. Markkula. Jr 7,029,448(1) 14.0
    Mr. Jobs, a co-founder of the Company, has served as Vice Chairman of the Board since August 1979 and as Vice President since May 1977, and has been a director since March 1977.
    Mr. Wozniak, a co-founder of the Company, has served as Vice President since March 1977, was Secretary of the Company from March 1977 to September 1980 and was a director of the Company from March 1977 to January 1978.
    Mr. Markkula has been a director since March 1977 and has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors since May 1977.
    in November 1977 the Company sold and issued 8,320,000 shares of Common Stock to Mr. Markkula for $91,000. The shares issued to Mr. Markkula were paid for in cash.
  3. Apple Timeline, Computer History Museum, 2 Feb 2026. Scholarship & press
    Apple Computer Company is founded as a partnership between Jobs, Woz, and Ron Wayne. Wayne pulls out eleven days later.
    September 17, 1985 Steve Jobs resigns from Apple
    In late 1976, Mike Markkula meets the Steves, agrees to invest in the company and ends up writing the business plan.
  4. Celebrating Apple at 50, Computer History Museum, 19 Mar 2026. Scholarship & press
    Wayne wrote up a partnership agreement then and there, becoming the third cofounder of Apple with 10% of the company so he could, according to Jobs, break a tie when the Steves disagreed. Twelve days later, Wayne backed out.
  5. Apple Computer, Inc. proxy statement (Schedule 14A), filed 12 December 1994, Apple, 12 Dec 1994. Primary record
    Vice Chairman of the Board of Apple from 1981 to 1993; President and Chief Executive Officer of Apple from 1981 to 1983; and Chairman of the Board of Apple from 1977 to 1981.
  6. Apple Computer, Inc. proxy statement (Schedule 14A), filed 16 March 1998, Apple, 16 Mar 1998. Primary record
    On September 10, 1997, Mr. Jobs assumed the position of Interim Chief Executive Officer.
    On August 5, 1997, all of the members of the Board other than Messrs. Woolard and Chang resigned and were replaced by Steven P. Jobs, Lawrence J. Ellison, William V. Campbell and Jerome B. York.
  7. Apple Computer, Inc. proxy statement (Schedule 14A), filed 6 March 2000, Apple, 6 Mar 2000. Primary record
    In January 2000, Mr. Jobs accepted the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
  8. Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple, Apple, 24 Aug 2011. Primary record
    Apple’s Board of Directors today announced that Steve Jobs has resigned as Chief Executive Officer, and the Board has named Tim Cook, previously Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, as the company’s new CEO. Jobs has been elected Chairman of the Board and Cook will join the Board, effective immediately.
  9. Apple Inc. current report (Form 8-K), 20 April 2026: CEO transition, Apple, 20 Apr 2026. Primary record
    On April 20, 2026, Apple Inc. (“Apple”) announced that Tim Cook will transition from his role as Chief Executive Officer to Executive Chair of Apple’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), effective September 1, 2026 (the “Transition Date”).
    On April 17, 2026, the Board appointed John Ternus, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board, in each case effective on the Transition Date.
  10. Apple Leadership: Tim Cook, Apple. Primary record
    Tim Cook has been a director since 2011 and serves as the executive chair of the board. He joined Apple in 1998 and served as the company’s CEO from 2011 to 2026.
  11. Apple Leadership: John Ternus, Apple. Primary record
    John Ternus is the CEO of Apple and serves on its board of directors.
  12. Apple Computer, Inc. proxy statement (Schedule 14A), filed 27 December 1996, Apple, 27 Dec 1996. Primary record
    A. C. Markkula, Jr. has served as the Chairman of the Board of Apple from October 1993 to February 1996.
  13. Statement by Apple’s Board of Directors, Apple, 5 Oct 2011. Primary record
    We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today.
  14. Apple Names Arthur D. Levinson Chairman of the Board, Apple, 15 Nov 2011. Primary record
    today named Arthur D. Levinson, Ph. D. as the Company’s non-executive Chairman of the Board.
    Art has made enormous contributions to Apple since he joined the board in 2000
  15. Dr. Eric Schmidt Resigns from Apple’s Board of Directors, Apple, 3 Aug 2009. Primary record
    Dr. Eric Schmidt, chief executive officer of Google, is resigning from Apple’s Board of Directors, a position he has held since August 2006.
  16. Apple Leadership: Sue Wagner, Apple. Primary record
    Ms. Wagner has been a director since 2014; she serves on the audit and finance committee, and is the chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee.
  17. BlackRock, Inc. 2026 proxy statement (DEF 14A), BlackRock, 10 Apr 2026. Primary record
    Other Public Company Directorships (within the past 5 years) • Apple Inc. (2014 – present) • Samsara Inc. (2020 – present)
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