Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne.
The founders created the company to sell personal computers, beginning with the Apple I, a computer designed primarily by Wozniak. Apple later gained international prominence through the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, and other products.
A common mix-up is confusing Apple's founding date with its incorporation date. Apple was incorporated on January 3, 1977, after Wayne had left the venture. The company therefore has both a founding date and a later legal incorporation date.
Apple's enormous market capitalization reflects the value investors place on its hardware, software, services, brand, and global ecosystem. Its history is unusual among major technology companies because it began as a small personal-computer partnership and became one of the world's most valuable public corporations.