The Apple Paradox Makes Apple a Dead Player
The Apple Paradox Makes Apple a Dead Player
The company that shifted paradigms in personal computing is now too valuable to be run by a live player. The current CEO Tim Cook stewards Apple’s legacy for profitability above innovation.
With a market capitalization of $2.8 trillion as of August 2023, Apple is the most valuable company in the world by a considerable margin.1 Reaching yearly earnings of $112 billion, it is also the most profitable company in the world, with the exception of the Saudi state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco. Apple has inspired impressive brand loyalty via its perception as both a technological innovator and purveyor of luxury products. The company remains overwhelmingly dependent on iPhone sales, its largest source of revenue since 2008, and which account for nearly 50% of revenue in 2023.2 The company has not released a product that has significantly altered its revenue streams in over a decade. Impressive financial success and impeccable branding bely a fundamental technological stagnation.