Apple Bought Back More Than $880 Billion of Its Own Stock During Tim Cook's 15 Years as CEO. Here's How That Reshaped Shareholder Returns.

Key Points Former CEO Tim Cook oversaw the initiation of Apple's share repurchase program in 2012. Remaining shareholders have seen their stakes in Apple soar as the company retires shares. That's helped boost earnings per share and support a higher earnings multiple for the stock. 10 stocks we like better than Apple › Tim Cook stepped down as CEO of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) on Sept. 1 after a 15-year tenure as head of one of the most valuable companies in the world. Cook wasn't the visionary product leader his predecessor, Steve Jobs, was, but he took the popular products Jobs helped create and ensured they reached billions of households worldwide, generating huge sums for Apple and its shareholders.