According to observers, Apple may need a new CEO in order to avoid falling victim to AI. According to analysts Walter Piecyk and Joe Galone of LightShed Partners, Apple needs a CEO who is focused on products, even if Tim Cook, the company’s current CEO, has brought operational experience to the position.
According to a media agency report, the experts said on July 9 that Tim Cook was the right CEO when he was appointed and has undoubtedly performed admirably.
Under Cook’s leadership, Apple has sold more than $2.0 trillion worth of iPhones. As pull-forwards connected to tariffs assist in stabilising replacement cycles that may finally be bottoming out, iPhone sales may actually show signs of life this quarter.
Can Apple Keep Up in AI Race is a Big Question-Analysts
But with Cook still in charge, analysts questioned if Apple could provide a slew of new AI capabilities and updates. According to them, AI will change industries throughout the world economy, and Apple could be one of the victims.
The memo was released the day after Apple revealed that Jeff Williams, its chief operational officer, will soon retire. Sabih Khan, who was born in India, has been appointed by the corporation to succeed Williams.
Khan joined Apple in 1995 and is highly recognised for having revolutionised the company’s global supply chain. He has been in charge of Apple’s operations team since 2019, managing global environmental sustainability, supplier accountability, and manufacturing projects.
Prior to the promotion, he served as senior vice president of operations for the corporation. He will now rank second in the large tech company, behind Cook, as COO.
Search for CEO Already Began
Apple needs drastic changes right now, according to LightShed analysts, even though the promotion of an executive who is currently in the company’s highest ranks indicates stability.
This is due to the fact that Apple is generally seen as having difficulty keeping up in the fiercely competitive AI race. Apple’s AI-enabled Siri has been delayed by almost a year due to alleged technical issues, and the company’s intelligence features have encountered glitches.
During the 2024 WWDC developer conference, the Cupertino-based tech giant announced features that would improve Siri’s comprehension of conversation context.
According to the LightShed team, it would be excessively compassionate to characterise the Siri delay as merely an instance of overpromising and underdelivering. They said that little had changed since then and that Apple was at a standstill when it came to AI.
Renowned developer Ruoming Pang, who was allegedly in charge of Apple’s basic AI model development, departed last week to join Meta’s artificial superintelligence division. Kevan Parekh replaced Luca Maestri as chief financial officer at the beginning of 2025.
After long-time operations chief Jeff Williams plans to retire, Apple CEO Tim Cook has made a significant leadership change by appointing Indian-origin executive Sabih Khan as the company’s new COO.
Khan, who has worked for Apple for thirty years, has been instrumental in creating and overseeing the company’s international supply chain.
Khan was born in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, and spent some time in Singapore. His ascent to the second-ranking spot at Apple is a landmark achievement for Indian-origin talent in the global computer sector.
From Moradabad to USA
Born in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, in 1966, Sabih Khan later relocated to Singapore with his family. After moving to the US, he graduated from Tufts University with two bachelor’s degrees in economics and mechanical engineering.
He then went on to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to acquire a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. Khan was an applications development engineer at GE Plastics before joining Apple.
He joined Apple in 1995 as a member of the procurement team and worked his way up to the position of Senior Vice President of Operations in 2019. Khan has been in charge of Apple’s global supply chain, manufacturing, product fulfilment, procurement, and logistics in this capacity.
His leadership was also evident in Apple’s supplier responsibility initiatives, which prioritised environmental sustainability and worker rights.
Khan a ‘Brillian Strategist’: Cook
Apple said in a statement that Jeff Williams will retire later this year and hand over his duties to Khan by the end of the month. Tim Cook hailed Khan as a “brilliant strategist” and one of the main designers of Apple’s worldwide supply chain in his statement.
Cook credited Khan with helping Apple reduce its carbon footprint by more than 60%, highlighting his efforts in sophisticated manufacturing, expanding production in the US, and sustainability programs.
Cook expressed complete faith in Khan’s ability to influence Apple’s future, saying, “Above all, Sabih leads with his heart and his values.”
With this change, Khan assumes a position that places him among the most powerful executives in the most valuable corporation in the world, and Tim Cook will now receive direct reports from Apple’s design team.
India Benefiting from US-China Trade Tension
The shifting of Khan coincides with Apple’s efforts to lessen the effects of US tariffs by moving some of its manufacture from China to India.
Trade conflicts between the US and China, which started under former President Donald Trump, are the direct cause of Apple’s entry into India.
These tensions have now developed into strategic actions on both sides, with China retaliating with limits on technology, talent, and raw materials and the United States providing tax incentives and trade agreements to nations like Vietnam and India.
Though it might not seem as dramatic, China’s most recent action might be just as destructive as a trade battle. The risk is growing on both sides for Apple, which intends to manufacture the majority of iPhones for the US in India by 2026.
To satisfy American demand, Apple is dramatically increasing production of the Pro variants of its upcoming iPhone 17 series in India this year.
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s concerns about Apple’s growing manufacturing presence in India, the move underscores the nation’s growing role in the tech giant’s global supply chain strategy and indicates that the company’s expansion plans remain unchanged.
According to a media report, Apple intends to source the majority of the US iPhone demand from India, and the US has one of the largest demand for iPhone Pro models, so the scale-up of the Pro models of the forthcoming iPhone 17 series will take place this year. The scale-up is also a result of India’s growing demand for Pro models.
Foxconn, Apple’s biggest contract manufacturing partner in India, will increase production of the iPhone 17 Pro model, the source claimed. While Tata Electronics is also engaged in the trial manufacture of components like casings for the new lineup, Foxconn has begun producing the iPhone 17 series in India.
Last year, Apple started producing high-end iPhone Pro models at its Foxconn facility in Sriperumbudur. In contrast to the mid-twenties in India, where 50–60% of all iPhone demand is for Pro versions, another source stated that this percentage is also anticipated to increase in 2025.
Apple Standing Firm on its Decision
According to a media report, Apple’s plans for development in India also state that the company’s policy has not changed in spite of comments made by US President Donald Trump that criticised it.
Additionally, the business maintains constant communication with the Indian government, assuring it of its ongoing dedication to India as a significant manufacturing hub. The expansion is expected to continue this year, according to the study.
Since India is one of the key markets, Apple’s investment ambitions there have not changed. Speaking to Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple Inc., on May 15 in Doha, Qatar, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that unless it is expressly for that market, there is no reason to establish plants in India.
Trump’s Advice to Tim Cook
After speaking with Apple CEO Tim Cook in Doha, Trump informed him that his administration has no interest in Apple constructing in India and that they can handle themselves. Trump went on to say that he and Tim Cook had a minor disagreement yesterday. “I am treating you very well,” he added to his friend Cook.
Trump further stated, “I’ve heard that you’re building all over India with the $500 billion you’re coming up with. You shouldn’t construct in India, in my opinion. Since India has some of the highest tariffs in the world, it is very difficult to sell there, but if you want to take care of the country, you may build there.”
Trump added that India has made the United States an offer in which they essentially agree to charge America no tariffs at all.
Apple is being treated quite well by the US government, which has tolerated all of its Chinese plants for many years. The US government currently opposes Apple’s decision to produce in India. India is capable of taking care of itself.
Timothy Donald Cook is an American business executive who is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc. Previously, he was the company’s Chief Operating Officer under the co-founder Steve Jobs. Tim joined Apple Inc. in March 1998 as senior VP for worldwide operations and the VP for worldwide sales and operations. He became the Chief Executive Officer on August 24, 2011, after Jobs resigned.
Tim was born on 1st November 1960 and grew up in the city of Mobile, Alabama. He was baptized in the Baptist Church and grew up in the city of Robertsdale. His father, Donald Cook was a shipyard worker and his mother Geraldine worked at the pharmacy. He graduated from the Robertsdale Public High School in Alabama in 1978. Tim received a Bachelor of Science by majoring in Industrial Engineering from Auburn University in 1982 and an MBA from Duke University in 1988.
Tim Cook – Career Highlights
Pre-Apple Highlights
Once Tim graduated from Auburn University, he spent 12 years in IBM’s personal computer business and became the director of North American fulfillment. At the same time, Tim earned his MBA from Duke University and was a Fuqua Scholar in 1988. He later became the Chief Operating Officer of the computer reseller division of Intelligent Electronics. In 1997 he became the VP for corporate materials at Compaq but then took up his position at Apple Inc. just six months later.
Apple Highlights
In 1998, Steve Jobs convinced Tim Cook to join Apple and his first position was that of Senior Vice President for worldwide operations. Tim closed up factories and warehouses and replaced them with contracted manufacturers. This resulted in a change of the company’s inventory from months to barely days. He then invested in long-term deals such as investing in flash memory since 2005. This meant that Apple Inc. saw a stable supply of iPod Nano, then iPad and iPhones. Tim was recognized for keeping costs under control and generating huge profits.
In 2007, Tim was promoted to Lead Operations and was Chief Executive in 2009. But with Steve Jobs’ health failing, he became responsible for most of Apple’s day-to-day operations.
Apple Inc. Chief Executive Highlights
Once Steve Jobs resigned, Tim was named the new Chief Executive Officer on 25th August 2011. Six weeks later, Steve died from complications from pancreatic cancer. In 2012, Tim made major changes to the executive team. Scott Forstall resigned as Senior VP of iOS after the poor launch of Apple Maps. He remained an advisor to Tim until he left the company in 2013. John Browett, the senior VP of retail, was dismissed after only 6 months and was given 100,000 shares worth $60 million.
In 2014, Tim made headlines as he told shareholders to ‘get out of the stock’ if they did not share the company’s ideas of climate change and sustainability. In 2016, he also traveled to China to meet government officials to help close Apple’s online iTunes Store and Apple Books store. He signed a $275 billion deal with the officials. This deal paved the way for increased censorship by Apple in China.
In August 2021, Tim received approximately $750 million as a payout by selling more than 5 million shares in Apple Inc.
In 2020, Tim Cook made a $2 million donation to a mysterious charity. He donated over 6880 shares but the recipient was left nameless.
In August 2018, he donated more than $5 million to an unnamed charity. He has also announced more public-facing donations including the Amazon rainforest fires and California housing crisis where the company pledged over $2.5 billion.
Tim Cook – Leadership Style
When Tim became the new CEO of Apple Inc. he began his day by sending emails at 4:30 am every weekday and had even held Sunday-night staff meetings by telephone to prepare for the coming week. In 2013 Tim commented that his leadership was more focused on strategy, people, and executives. Under his leadership, the brand increased its donations to charity and even in 2013 hired Lisa Jackson, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. She was supposed to help Apple develop renewable energy activities.
In the 2008 election cycle, Tim was one of the donors for Barack Obama’s first White House election. In 2015 he donated to Democratic senators Chuck Schumer and Patrick Leahy for their positions on e-book pricing and surveillance reforms.
In 2016 he donated to the election campaign of Zoe Lofgren. He also hosted a private fundraiser for the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul Ryan. In the same year, he also helped raise funds for Hilary Clinton’s campaign. During the campaign, he was even considered for Vice President.
Tim Cook – Awards & Recognitions
Some awards and recognitions that Tim Cook received are:
Financial Times Person of the Year (2014)
Ripple of Change Award (2015)
Fortune‘s World’s Greatest Leader (2015)
Alabama Academy of Honor: Inductee (2015)
Human Rights Campaign’s Visibility Award (2015)
HonoraryDoctor of Science fromthe University of Glasgow inGlasgow, Scotland (2017)
Courage Against Hate Award fromAnti-Defamation League (2018)
Honorary Master’s degree in Innovation and International Management fromthe University of Naples Federico II inNaples, Italy (2022)
A Day in The Life of Tim Cook
Tim Cook – Facts
Tim became the Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc., in 2011 after previously serving as Apple’s Chief Operating Officer under Steve Jobs.
Tim joined Apple in 1998 after working for PC maker Compaq and over 12 years at IBM.
Tim owns more than 3 million shares of Apple, less than 1%, and has sold hundreds of millions of shares over the years.
Since 2005 he has served on the Board of Nike as well.
Tim Cook – Personal Life
Tim is a fitness enthusiast and enjoys going to the gym, cycling, and hiking. He is quite solitary and uses the off-campus fitness center for privacy. In 2014 he sought to achieve a ‘basic level of privacy’. But Tim was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis and that made him see the world in a different way.
In June 2014, Tim attended the San Francisco gay pride parade with members of the Apple Inc. team. On 30th October, he publicly came out as gay in an editorial for Bloomberg Business.
According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the company’s October–December quarter sales in India set a record, with the iPhone emerging as the top-selling smartphone model in the nation. Throughout the company’s Q1 2025 financial results call, Cook stated, “I am especially keen on India, as we’re opening four new stores there and they set a December quarter record during the quarter.” With overall shipments hitting a record $12.8 billion (about INR 1.08 lakh cr), Apple’s iPhone exports from India in 2024 broke the INR 1 lakh cr milestone. The CEO also discussed the company’s plans to open four new locations across the nation. In October of last year, Apple announced intentions to establish four more retail locations nationwide. The iPhone manufacturer intends to open new locations in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, and Delhi NCR.
India -2nd Largest Market for Smartphones: Cook
Given that India is the world’s second-largest smartphone market and the third-largest for PCs and tablets, he also emphasised the potential of the Indian smartphone market throughout the call. Cook responded to a query from an analyst regarding supply chain planning in India by stating that since the company produces its goods for both the local and international markets, economies of scale are necessary for the Indian manufacturer to earn money. In addition to French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and simplified Chinese, the tech giant now plans to make Apple Intelligence available in a number of languages, including India’s localised English. The CEO of Apple also cited Zomato, a massive foodtech startup in India, to illustrate how the business is seeing high demand in developing areas.
Growing Network of Apple in India
Cook added that the company saw high demand in new areas as well. For instance, Zomato, a well-known Indian food delivery service, has thousands of Macs spread throughout its workstations. Apple recently began talks with Bharat Forge Ltd., a major manufacturer of auto components, to include Kalyani Group as one of its local vendors. The business launched the Apple Store app in India earlier this month in response to growing sales of its flagship iPhone devices in the nation. The company’s goal is to increase its retail presence in the second-largest smartphone market in the world.
On a year-over-year basis, the company’s product sales increased 1.5% to USD 97.96 billion from USD 96.45 billion, while its services sales increased around 14% to reach a record high quarterly revenue of USD 26.34 billion from USD 23.11 billion. On a year-over-year basis, sales of Apple’s Mac PCs rose 15.5% to USD 8.98 billion from USD 7.78 billion, and sales of the iPad gained almost 15% to USD 8 billion from USD 7 billion. With the exception of China, where it produces the majority of Apple products, the company’s sales increased in every region. During the December quarter, Apple’s sales in China fell 11% to $18.5 billion from USD 20.8 billion in the same period last year.
While it’s unsurprising that Covid-19 remains a source of concern for CEOs, other concerns include supply chain disruptions, changing consumer behaviour, labour and employee shortages due to stress and poor mental health, and more To tackle the pandemic’s difficulties, corporate leaders all throughout the World had to act quickly and decisively. Some tried their hardest to keep their businesses afloat, but due to a lack of personnel, resources, demand, or sheer luck, they were unable to manage the difficulties and went to the bottom, while others employed their talents and manpower to perfection and kept themselves and their businesses afloat. Some CEOs could not only overcome obstacles and remain steady in their positions but also advance to the top and flourish. Here are the Top 10 Highest-Paid CEOs in the World right now. These rankings are based on the statistics given by the Fortune 500.
Elon Musk is the founder and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, the most valuable automaker in the World.
Despite not being paid by Tesla, Musk has been the highest-paid CEO in the US for three years. Instead, when the business achieves specific market capitalization and growth benchmarks, he is awarded stock options. With the help of these options, Musk can buy Tesla stock for a remarkable $70 per share, which at the beginning of January 2022 was trading for close to $1,200 per share. In the first quarter of 2022, Tesla generated $18.76 billion in revenue.
By exercising some Tesla stock options granted in 2018, Musk received income in 2022 totalling roughly $23.5 billion.
As of May 25, Elon Musk’s net worth was estimated to be $193 billion. This indicates that Musk has lost 77.6 billion dollars in fortune from the beginning of the year. By net worth, Musk remains the richest person in the World. He also ranked #2 on the Forbes 400 list of 2022.
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple
Earned Compensation: $770.5 Million
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple
Cook became Apple’s CEO in 2011 following the passing of Steve Jobs. He has consistently appeared on lists of the highest-paid CEOs for a number of years.
Apple’s market value has climbed by $2.2 trillion under Cook, and in 2021, the business made $95 billion in profits. The company encountered difficulties due to the global chip scarcity but was successful in starting internal equipment manufacturing.
Apple outperformed every other American corporation on that front, finishing the year with an enormous $95 billion n earnings. In the first quarter of 2022, Apple generated $97.2 billion in revenue.
The estimated current net worth of Tim Cook is $2 billion. As part of a 10-year issuance of shares worth $1.7 billion, he received an astounding $770.5 million in 2021 alone. Most people would find Cook’s $3 million salary acceptable, but it is nothing compared to his $10.7 million bonus and $250 million in stock awards.
In the Forbes list of billionaires of 2022, Cook ranked #1513.
Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA
Earned Compensation: $561 Million
Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA
NVIDIA Corp., founded in 1993, is a tech corporation best known for its graphics chips, artificial intelligence technology, and Shield gaming consoles. Jensen Huang is the company’s co-founder, current CEO, Director, and President.
Due to the company’s share price increasing by about 60 times over the previous ten years, he realized $561 million in 2022 from the expiration options given in 2011 and 2012. From NVIDIA in the fiscal year ended in 2022, Huang got a total compensation of $23.7 million, out of which $900k was his salary, $18 million was awarded as stock, $4 million was his bonus, and $81k came from other types of compensation.
Nvidia, which went public in 1999, is 3.6% owned by Huang. NVIDIA’s revenue increased by 61% to a record $12.46 billion in 2021, and it was $7.10 billion in the first quarter of 2022.
With a $21.3 billion net worth, he came in at #34 on the Forbes 400 list of billionaires for 2022.
Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix
Earned Compensation: $453.5 Million
Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix
The notorious streaming powerhouse Netflix was established in 1997, and Reed Hastings is the company’s co-founder, CEO, and chairman.
In 2021, Netflix generated $24.9 billion in revenue, a 23.8% year-over-year rise, and $5.1 billion in operating profit, an 85% year-over-year increase.
However, as the World reopened after the pandemic, the corporation recently trimmed expenditures due to losing subscribers. Streaming services are another source of rising rivalry for Netflix.
Hastings’ total remuneration for the 2021 fiscal year was $40 million. Of this amount, $442k came from other forms of income, $39 million came from stock options, and $650k came from salary.
Reed Hastings’ net worth was $2.9 billion as of 2022. He also ranked #801 on the Forbes list of billionaires in 2022 and #188 on Forbes 400 (2021).
Leonard Schleifer, CEO of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Earned Compensation: $452.9 Million
Leonard Schleifer, CEO of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Leonard Schleifer, the current CEO of the company, founded the biotech company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in 1988, which deals in the research, creation, testing, manufacturing, and distribution of medications to treat cancer, asthma, and chronic pain.
Due to the company’s REGEN-COV antibody medication for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, revenue increased 89.1% in 2021 to reach $16.07 billion.
The business generated $2.97 billion in revenue in the first quarter of 2022.
Schleifer received a total payout of $6 million. Of this total, $672 thousand came from other forms of income, $4 million came from bonuses, and $1 million came from salaries. Schleifer’s current net worth is $1.1 billion. He also ranked #2324 on the Forbes list of billionaires in 2022 and #339 on Forbes 400 (2020).
Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce
Earned Compensation: $439.4 Million
Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce
In 1999, Benioff established Salesforce, a company that creates cloud-based enterprise software for customer relationship management with the tagline “The End of Software.” Sales force automation, community management, a salesforce platform, solutions tailored to particular industries, digital commerce, customer service and support, collaboration, and marketing automation are some of its solutions. Additionally, the company offers consulting, counselling, support, and training services.
In 2021, revenue increased by 24.7%, reaching a total of $21.25 billion. Revenue increased by 24% year over year to $7.41 billion in the first quarter of 2022.
His base pay of $1,440,000, cash bonuses of $2,816,640, and benefits of $1,291,541 make up his $39,907,534 in yearly income.
Additionally, he was listed #74 on the Forbes 400 in 2021 and #275 on the Forbes list of billionaires in 2022.
Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft
Earned Compensation: $309.4 million
Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft
In 2014, billionaire Satya Nadella succeeded billionaire Steve Ballmer as CEO of Microsoft. Nadella formerly held the position of Microsoft EVP for the cloud and enterprise group. Nadella’s peers probably think he merits a large salary. In place of the company’s faltering mobile strategy, he has steered it toward alternative markets like cloud computing and augmented reality.
A chip shortage that affected Xbox game systems was another issue the corporation had to deal with. Microsoft reported $168 billion in total revenue in 2021, an increase of 17.5%, and $7.8 billion in the first quarter of 2022.
The total remuneration received by Satya Nadella was $49.8 million. A salary of $2.5 million was paid out of this amount, along with bonuses of $14.2 million, stock awards of $33 million, and other forms of compensation of $109 thousand.
In 1991, Kotick was appointed Activision’s CEO. The gaming behemoth creates and publishes interactive entertainment, and its most well-known titles include Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.
Kotick made $296.7 million from the value of vested restricted shares last year. In spite of Kotick’s personal handling of assault claims at the game producer and several lawsuits alleging harassment, and sexism, Microsoft decided to purchase Activision in January for $68.7 billion, making it the company’s largest acquisition to date.
Kotick received total compensation of $826.5k, of which $108.5k came from different sources of compensation, and $718k was salary.
Hock E. Tan, CEO of Broadcom
Earned Compensation: $288 Million
Hock E. Tan, CEO of Broadcom
Tan, raised in Malaysia, received a scholarship to attend MIT before starting his career. Since Avago purchased the semiconductor business in 2015 for $37 billion, he has served as CEO of Broadcom.
A leading provider of infrastructure software and semiconductors, Broadcom is a multinational technology business. It uses infrastructure software, semiconductor products, and IP licensing to operate.
In 2021, the company’s revenue increased 14.9% to $27.4 billion.
Tan received total pay of $60 million, including a salary of $1.2 million, a bonus of $5.4 million, $54 million in stock, and $46,000 in other forms of compensation.
Safra A. Catz, CEO of Oracle
Earned Compensation: $239.5 Million
Safra A. Catz, CEO of Oracle
Safra A. Catz has travelled a long but rewarding path. Prior to joining Oracle as a Senior Vice President in 1999, she worked as a banker. She then joined Mark Hurd as Co-CEO of Oracle in 2014. Hurd retired in 2019, citing health concerns, and Catz took over as CEO.
Oracle has seen slow revenue growth in recent years despite offering products and services that address many facets of corporate information technology settings. It is best recognized for its database software. As of May 2022, the regulatory approval process for Oracle’s $28 billion acquisition of Cerner, a provider of electronic health records, was still ongoing in the United States and Europe.
Catz received a total payout of $10 million. $950 thousand of this total was earned as a salary, $9 million as a bonus, and $96 thousand from other forms of compensation.
Catz has a net worth of $1.4 billion. Additionally, she was listed #19 on the Forbes list of America’s Self-Made Women in 2022 and #1922 on the Forbes list of billionaires in 2022.
Conclusion
While these CEOs are on the top, others are climbing this stairwell, like Eric Yuan, Ann-Marie Campbell, Amrita Ahuja, Satya Nadella, Lisa Barton, and many more. Some of them are doing it at a very fast pace, while others are playing it steady. It won’t be long before these names are among the highest-paid CEOs in the World.
FAQs
Who are the highest-paid CEOs in the world?
Top 10 Highest-Paid CEOs in the world are:
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple
Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA
Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix
Leonard Schleifer, CEO of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce
Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft
Robert A. Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard
Hock E. Tan, CEO of Broadcom
Safra A. Catz, CEO of Oracle
Who is the highest-paid CEO in the world?
Elon Musk is the highest-paid CEO in the world with an annual compensation of $23.5 billion.
Who is the highest-paid female CEO?
Safra A. Catz, CEO of Oracle is the highest-paid female CEO. She got an annual compensation of $239.5 million in 2021.
What is the revenue of Tesla?
Tesla brought a revenue of $53.8 billion in 2021.
What is Elon Musk’s salary at Tesla?
Elon Musk got annual compensation of $23.5 billion from Tesla in 2021.
Who is the richest CEO in the world?
Elon Musk is the richest CEO in the world with a net worth of $227 billion.
Apple finished 2020 with a bang as it posted another massive quarter, pulling in $111.4 billion in revenue. Its revenue rose over 21% as it logged its most profitable quarter ever despite numerous restrictions created by the pandemic.
It’s the first time Apple crossed the symbolic $100 billion mark in a single quarter. The company reported $15.7 billion in services and $95billion in sales from products. To put things in perspective, Apple in the same quarter of 2019, posted revenue of $91.8 billion.
The holiday quarter is always essential for tech giants like Apple and accounts for about 30 percent of its annual product sales. The stakes were even higher this time, as the COVID- 19 outbreak delayed the production of the iPhone 12.
The pandemic even forced Apple to delay the launch date of its new product to October instead of its traditional September release. This meant that different models of the new iPhone didn’t start shipping to customers until November, cutting down the number of weeks Apple usually has to capture sales ahead of Christmas.
However, the revenue number posted by Apple beat analysts’ expectations of $103.2 billion. Many analysts had expected Apple to do well thanks to the holiday season and the debut of the iPhone 12 in October. The latest model featured a new look with 5G capabilities as well as different models of various sizes and prices.
Tim Cook noted that the results would’ve been better if not for the pandemic. The outbreak had forced Apple to close down many of its stores around the world.
Apple makes record gains as iPhone and iPad sales surge
He also pointed out the strong growth across all Apple products – not just iPhone sales to be the reason for such massive earnings. As the pandemic increased demands for home computing services and products, Apple boasted double-digit gains in all of its product categories.
To breakdown earnings across product categories, booming iPhone sales were responsible for $65.59 billion in revenue while Mac and iPad sales delivered $8.68 billion and $8.48 billion, respectively. Its burgeoning services division like Apple+ TV and Apple music jumped 24% to $15.8 billion.
“This quarter for Apple wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless and innovative work of every Apple team member worldwide,” Cook said in a statement. “We are also focused on how we can help the communities we’re a part of build back strongly and equitably, through efforts like our Racial Equity and Justice Initiative as well as our multi-year commitment to invest $350 billion throughout the United States.”
Apple’s revenue increased across all geographic areas, especially in China where its year-over-year revenue jumped by more than 56%.
To make up for the pandemic Wedbush securities analyst Dan Ives says that the new iPhone will launch a sales “super cycle”, in which consumers who have older iPhones will be able to upgrade their phones and get access to 5G connectivity with iPhone 12.
Apple also introduced another hardware product in 2020, the AirPods Max which received mostly positive reviews.
Even though there were fears of Apple’s bottom line taking an enormous hit due to the COVID lockdown, its financial performance over the last nine months has shown that Apple’s business can even withstand a global pandemic.
