Apple, one of the world's most valuable companies by market capitalization, was co-founded by Steve Jobs, who later led it as CEO.
Jobs founded Apple Computer with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976. The company's early breakthrough was the Apple II, followed by the Macintosh in 1984, which introduced a graphical user interface to a mass-market personal computer.
Jobs left Apple in 1985 after a power struggle, then returned in 1997. During his second tenure, Apple released products including the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad, transforming the company from a computer maker into a broad consumer-technology business.
Steve Wozniak is sometimes confused with Jobs in questions about Apple's founders, but Wozniak was the engineering force behind many early Apple designs. Tim Cook succeeded Jobs as chief executive in 2011.