‘Bir yenilikçinin ruhu ': Tim Cook, John Ternus'a 4,5 $ değerinde bir elma veriyor. $ 10K'yı kendi servet oluşturma makinenize dönüştürün

‘The soul of an innovator’: Tim Cook hands a $4.5T Apple to John Ternus. Turn $10K into your own wealth-building machine

Thomas Kent

Fri, September 4, 2026 at 2:15 PM GMT+3 8 min read

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Tim Cook has handed the keys to one of the most valuable companies on Earth to John Ternus, ending a 15-year run that created staggering wealth for Apple shareholders.

When Apple announced the transition, Cook said (1) Ternus possessed "the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator" and was "the right person" to guide the company forward.

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Apple stock climbed (2) approximately 2,274% between Cook's first day as CEO in August 2011 and his last in August 2026. That means a $10,000 investment made when Cook took over would have grown to roughly $237,400 based on share-price appreciation alone, before accounting for dividends.

That is the kind of return investors dream about. It's why starting early, staying invested and owning successful businesses can matter so much over a long horizon.

Cook officially became Apple's executive chairman on Sept. 1, while Ternus, the company's longtime hardware chief, took over as CEO. Cook is therefore stepping away from the chief executive's office, rather than leaving Apple altogether.

Ternus now inherits a company worth approximately $4.5 trillion, along with the burden of proving that Apple's most profitable days are still ahead.

Cook turned Apple into a $4.5 trillion machine

Apple's extraordinary investment returns were backed by tremendous growth in the underlying business. During Cook's tenure, its market capitalization climbed from approximately $350 billion to more than $4.5 trillion, according to Reuters (3). Annual sales rose from $108 billion in fiscal 2011 to $416 billion in fiscal 2025, while annual profit more than quadrupled to $112 billion.

Cook strengthened Apple's supply chain and built an ecosystem that generates revenue long after a sale. With revenue over $100 billion annually, Apple expanded into wearables and shifted its computers to Apple-designed silicon.

Behind the scenes, John Ternus spent 25 years at Apple and helped oversee hardware engineering across its major product lines. Now, he has to convince investors that Apple can compete in artificial intelligence, manage tariffs and supply-chain risks and produce another category-defining product.

Apple's run demonstrates the wealth one successful long-term investment can create. It also benefits from hindsight.

Nonetheless, you can improve your odds of finding tomorrow's market leaders by starting early, diversifying, researching companies carefully and seeking professional guidance when needed.

Start investing before you feel wealthy

A $10,000 lump sum produced an extraordinary result under Cook, but waiting until you have $10,000 can cost you valuable time in the market. Consistent smaller contributions can also accumulate into meaningful wealth.

For example, investing $100 each month for 15 years at a hypothetical 8% annual return would produce approximately $34,600. The investor would contribute $18,000 and receive roughly $16,600 from investment growth. Actual returns will vary, of course and that number excludes taxes and fees, but it shows what regular contributions and time can accomplish together.

The beauty of ETF investing is its accessibility. Investors do not need to be wealthy to begin and even small amounts can grow over time with tools like Acorns, an app that automatically invests your spare change.

Signing up for Acorns takes just minutes. Link your cards and Acorns will round each purchase up to the nearest dollar and invest the difference into a diversified portfolio.

With Acorns, you can invest in a dividend ETF with as little as $5. If you sign up today, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you begin your investment journey.

Make diversified funds the core of your portfolio

Putting your future in one company creates substantial risk, Apple or not. Products disappoint, competitors advance, executives change and even dominant businesses can lose value.

A diversified portfolio spreads that risk across many companies. Dollar-cost averaging, which involves investing a consistent amount at regular intervals, also reduces the temptation to wait for the "perfect" time to buy.

If you prefer a hands-off, tech-forward approach to building wealth, Vanguard's Digital Advisor puts the investing expertise of one of the world's largest asset managers at your fingertips.

They take the guesswork out of investing by building a personalized portfolio with Vanguard's well-known low-cost ETFs and mutual funds, then keep it aligned through automatic rebalancing.

The platform also offers guidance on saving for retirement and lets you set additional goals as your life evolves. It can even help you think through debt repayment strategies, potentially freeing up more money for your long-term plans.

With a minimum investment of $100, it offers an accessible way to begin professionally guided investing. For every $10,000 in an all-index portfolio, you will pay approximately $15 to $16 per year.*

You can also test-drive the Vanguard experience with no advisory fees for the first 90 days.

** All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest.*

Research the next leader

Once you have a diversified core, you might choose to devote a smaller portion of your portfolio to individual companies with greater growth potential.

Moby offers expert research and recommendations designed to help you identify strong, long-term investments, backed by analysis from former hedge fund professionals.

Across almost 400 stock picks over four years, Moby says its recommendations beat the S&P 500 by almost 12% on average. The service also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Moby's team spends hundreds of hours reviewing financial news and data to provide stock and crypto reports delivered straight to you. Its research can help you follow market shifts and reduce some of the guesswork involved in choosing stocks and ETFs.

The reports are accessible to beginners, allowing you to become a smarter investor in just five minutes.

Get in line before a company begins trading

Buying a future market leader before the wider market piles in sounds appealing. However, ordinary investors historically had limited access to initial public offerings and newly listed shares can be especially volatile.

SoFi Invest members can request shares in participating IPOs before those stocks begin trading on an exchange. Demand can exceed supply, so requesting shares does not guarantee an allocation and some investors may receive fewer shares than requested or none at all.

Their easy-to-use DIY investing platform lets you buy stocks, ETFs and more with no commission fees and no account minimums.

SoFi is designed for beginners and experienced investors, with real-time investing news, curated content and data that can help you make informed decisions about the companies that interest you.

For a limited time, you can get up to $1,000 in stock when you fund a new account.

An IPO opportunity should generally complement a diversified plan rather than replace one. A famous brand, exciting technology, or heavily anticipated debut cannot guarantee a successful long-term investment.

Ask an expert to pressure-test your plan

Investing decisions become more complicated as your portfolio, income, family responsibilities and tax obligations grow. A financial advisor can help crunch the numbers and build a plan around your circumstances.

Hiring an advisor can become a lifelong relationship, which means finding someone reliable is crucial. Advisor.com can connect you with an expert near you for free.

Advisor.com vets advisors based on their track records, client ratios and regulatory backgrounds. Its network includes fiduciaries, who are legally required to act in their clients' best interests.

Enter a few details about your finances and goals and Advisor.com's AI-powered matching tool will connect you with a qualified expert suited to your financial goals and preferences.

Because there is no one-size-fits-all advisor, Advisor.com lets you arrange a free initial consultation, with no obligation to hire. You can ask about the advisor's investment philosophy, services, fees and relevant experience.

Cook's 15-year run at Apple offers a spectacular example of long-term wealth creation, but nobody knows whether Ternus can repeat it or which company will produce the market's next great success story.

That said, wealth-building does not require staking everything on one prediction. Starting early, owning a diversified core, researching selective opportunities and getting professional guidance can help investors pursue long-term growth as Ternus begins writing Apple's next chapter.