Tim Cook Could Have Purchased Any of 488 S&P 500 Companies With $879 Billion. Instead, He Bought Something That Changed Apple's Fortune Forever.

Key Points Tim Cook stepped down as Apple’s CEO on Sept. 1, having overseen a greater than 2,700% gain in his company’s shares, including dividends. Although innovation played an important role in Apple’s success, Cook’s tenure was defined by an investment that had nothing to do with research and development. President Trump’s flagship Tax Cuts and Jobs Act altered the landscape for corporate America and facilitated Cook’s outsize investment. 10 stocks we like better than Apple › This has been a year defined by two trends: the artificial intelligence (AI) data center build-out and major transitions.