CEO Tim Cook pens heartfelt 'Thank You' letter as Apple nears five decades

Thanks to innovative music player iPods, iPhones, MacBooks, iPads, True-Wireless Stereo (TWS) AirPods, Watches, which have saved thousands of lives worldwide, Apple has gone on to scale triple trillion market valuation in 2022.

Though Apple Computer Co. was officially incorporated on January 3, 1977, in Cupertino, California, three co-founders Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne and Steve Jobs had begun their journeys at the latter's car garage on April 1, 1976.

As it completes five decades, Apple CEO Tim Cook has written a heartfelt 'Thank You' note to employees and customers, who have helped the company reach big milestones over the years.

Like any legacy company, Apple underwent a lot of upheavals. Following poor sales of Macintosh computers in the 80s, there was a lot of disagreement between Steve Jobs and the then CEO John Sculley, which this reached the board of directors. The latter sided with Scully, and Jobs was unceremoniously shunted out of the company.

Apple, without any level-headed leader, came close to filing for bankruptcy. In a surprise move, the company brought back Steve Jobs in 1997.

To get the tech company back on track, Jobs was able to score a $150 million investment from his arch-rival and Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates.

From then on, there is no looking back for Apple.

Thanks to innovative music player iPods, iPhones, MacBooks, iPads, True-Wireless Stereo (TWS), AirPods,and Watches, which have saved thousands of lives worldwide, the tech giant went on to scale triple trillion market valuation in 2022.

It is currently valued at around $3.7 trillion and is expected to reach the $4 trillion milestone by the year-end or early 2027.

Apple, which has always played in the premium computer segment, recently launched a new line of MacBook Neo, a first-of-its-kind low-cost laptop, to attract a new generation of students to its Apple ecosystem.

It has already spooked rival brands, which make affordable Windows and ChromeOS notebooks.

Apple has plans to bring its first-ever foldable iPhone later this fall, in September.

Here's Tim Cook's thank-you letter to fans and employees:

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.

-- Tim Cook

Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech.