Tim Cook pens passionate note on 50 years of Apple

For some, Apple is a brand. For others, it is a product manufacturer that includes mobile devices, personal computers, tablets, smartwatches and everything in between. But for Apple lovers, it is an emotion.

To commemorate the iconic brand’s 50th year, Apple CEO and Apple Founder Late Steve Jobs’ trusted lieutenant Tim Cook has written a note on his thoughts about the brand.

Begins:

“Fifty years ago in a small garage, a big idea was born. Apple was founded on the simple notion that technology should be personal, and that belief — radical at the time — changed everything.

April 1st marks 50 years of Apple. From the first Apple computer to the Mac, from iPod to iPhone, iPad to Apple Watch and AirPods, as well as the services we use every day — the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV — we’ve spent five decades rethinking what’s possible and putting powerful tools into people’s hands. Through every breakthrough, one idea has guided us — that the world is moved forward by people who think different.

That’s because progress always begins with someone — an inventor or scientist, a student or storyteller — who imagines a better way, a new idea, a different path. That spirit has guided Apple from the start. But it has never belonged to us alone.

Every invention we bring into the world is just the beginning of a story. The most meaningful chapters are written by all of you — the people who use our technology to work, learn, dream, and discover. You’ve made breakthroughs and launched businesses. You’ve cheered up loved ones in the hospital and captured your toddler’s first steps. You’ve run marathons, written books, and rekindled friendships. You’ve chased your curiosity, found your new favorite song, and shared stories that connect us all.

In your hands, the tools we make have improved lives, and sometimes even saved them. And that is what inspires us — not what technology can do alone, but everything you can do with it.

At Apple, we’re more focused on building tomorrow than remembering yesterday. But we couldn’t let this milestone pass without thanking the millions of people who make Apple what it is today — our incredible teams around the world, our developer community, and every customer who has joined us on this journey. Your ideas inspire our work. Your trust drives us to do better. Your stories remind us of all we can accomplish when we think different.

If you’ve taught us anything, it’s that the people crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.

So here’s to the crazy ones.

The misfits.

The rebels.

The troublemakers.

The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently.

Here’s to you.”

Ends.

Editor’s Note

As on 25th March 2026, Apple was valued at USD 600 Bn according to various market sources. The meteoric rise in valuation is based not just on the brand’s revenues or its innovation (some would say, the lack of it though).

The brand valuation is done on two bases – one on the appeal of the brand, done by firms like Interbrand and the other based on M-Cap or Market Capitalisation.

Apple became the first American company to hit the USD 1 Trn valuation in 2018 and thereafter witnessed doubling to USD 2.91 ton by 2021.