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‹ Apple

Who is behind Apple?

Also known as Apple Computer Company, Apple Computer, Inc., Apple Inc.

Shows documented founders, leaders, board members, funders and owners.

Not who made decisions, or why.

27 links · 1976 –

Play Explore

A connection is not evidence of wrongdoing.

Over time
  1. Board Mike Markkula Mar 1977 – 5 Aug 1997
  2. Board Steve Jobs Mar 1977 – 17 Sep 1985
  3. Led by Mike Markkula May 1977 – 1981
  4. Board Mike Markkula (Vice Chairman of the Board) 1981–1993
  5. Led by Mike Markkula 1981–1983
  6. Led by Mike Markkula Oct 1993 – Feb 1996
  7. Board Steve Jobs 5 Aug 1997 – 5 Oct 2011
  8. Led by Steve Jobs 10 Sep 1997 – 24 Aug 2011
  9. Board Arthur Levinson 2000 –
  10. Board Eric Schmidt Aug 2006 – 3 Aug 2009
  11. Led by Tim Cook 24 Aug 2011 – 1 Sep 2026
  12. Board Susan Wagner 2014 –

On the record

Sourced links that no one presents as their own account, as recorded so far. Others may exist.

Founded by

Led by

and 1 more ›

Board

and 1 more ›

Money in

  • Mike Markkula invested in Nov 1977 8,320,000 shares of common stock, paid in cash, $91,000 Primary record 14

Owners

  • Ronald Wayne owns a stake in 1–12 Apr 1976 10%, as of 1 Apr 1976 Scholarship & press 23

    Wayne withdrew from the partnership eleven days after signing.

  • Steve Jobs owns a stake in 1 Apr 1976 45%, as of 1 Apr 1976 Scholarship & press 3
  • Steve Wozniak owns a stake in 1 Apr 1976 45%, as of 1 Apr 1976 Scholarship & press 3
  • Mike Markkula owns a stake in 30 Nov 1980 14%, 7,029,448 shares, as of 30 Nov 1980 Primary record 4
  • Steve Jobs owns a stake in 30 Nov 1980 15%, 7,542,448 shares, as of 30 Nov 1980 Primary record 4
Proof 17 sources
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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
    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
    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.
  4. 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
    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.
    A. C. Markkula. Jr 7,029,448(1) 14.0
    Steven P. Jobs 7,542,448 15.0
  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 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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
  14. Apple Leadership: John Ternus, Apple. Primary record
    John Ternus is the CEO of Apple and serves on its board of directors.
  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)
How this answer is built

Lines on the record come first: sourced links that no one presents as their own account, each with its strongest source. Then every account recorded here gets its own column, A to Z, none ranked above another. A column quotes only that account's own words and shows the strength of its own sources. Disputed lines are listed apart, with the reason, and lines still being verified come last. Neither is counted. Withdrawn lines are never shown.

When a list is longer than the page shows, the links the public methodology ranks strongest stay (methodology 0.3), and the rest open in the explorer.

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