Apple vs Bristol-Myers Squibb: Founders, CEOs and History
Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne and is led by John Ternus. Bristol-Myers Squibb was founded in 1887 by Edward Robinson Squibb, William McLaren Bristol, John Ripley Myers and is led by Christopher Boerner.
Company facts
Apple
- Founded
- 1976
- Headquarters
- Cupertino, California
- Current CEO
- John Ternus
- Employees
- 166,000
Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Founded
- 1887
- Headquarters
- Princeton, New Jersey
- Current CEO
- Christopher Boerner
- Employees
- 32,500
Founders
Apple
Steve Jobs
Apple Computer was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, who sold his 10% stake back to his partners for $800 twelve days later.
Steve Wozniak
Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple and supplied the engineering foundation for its early success. He designed the Apple I as a working personal-computer board and then created the Apple II, the product that transformed Apple into a real company.
Ronald Wayne
Ronald Wayne co-founded Apple in 1976 but exited the partnership after only days, selling his stake back to Jobs and Wozniak.
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Edward Robinson Squibb
Squibb resigned his Navy post and opened a small laboratory in Brooklyn in 1858 to make pure ether, chloroform and other medicines.
William McLaren Bristol
In 1887 Bristol and Myers bought the Clinton Pharmaceutical Company of Clinton, New York, reportedly for about $5,000.
John Ripley Myers
Myers and Bristol bought the Clinton Pharmaceutical Company in Clinton, New York, in 1887 and renamed it Bristol, Myers and Company in 1898.
CEOs and their tenures
Apple
- John Sculley1983–1993
CEO
Sculley, a Wharton MBA who had built his reputation running Pepsi's marketing organization, was recruited to Apple in 1983 after Steve Jobs asked him, 'Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?' Apple paid h…
Source - Gil Amelio1996–1997
CEO
Amelio built his reputation as a corporate turnaround specialist at Rockwell International and then as CEO of National Semiconductor, where he was credited with transforming it from a struggling third-tier chipmaker into a more respected competitor, before joi…
Source - Steve Jobs1997–2011
CEO
Jobs enrolled at Reed College but dropped out after six months, later working as a video-game designer at Atari before he and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computer in the Jobs family garage in 1976, funding the venture by selling Jobs's Volkswagen van and Wozni…
Source - Tim Cook2011–2026
CEO
Cook earned an industrial-engineering degree from Auburn University and an MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business, then spent 12 years at IBM's personal-computer business before serving as COO of the reseller division at Intelligent Electronics and briefly a…
Source - John Ternus2026–present
CEO
Before becoming CEO, Ternus was Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, the group responsible for the engineering of Apple's devices. Cook described his contributions to Apple as spanning 25 years when the succession was announced.
Source
Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Charles A. Heimbold Jr.1994–2001
Chief Executive Officer
Serving as CEO from 1994 to 2001, he aggressively expanded the company's oncology portfolio, notably launching the blockbuster cancer drug Taxol, which drove massive revenue growth.
Source - Peter R. Dolan2001–2006
Chief Executive Officer
Dolan, who had run the consumer products and medical device divisions, succeeded Charles Heimbold in May 2001. His tenure included the ImClone partnership on the cancer drug Erbitux and a federal investigation into wholesaler inventory practices.
Source - James M. Cornelius2006–2010
Chief Executive Officer
Cornelius took over after Peter Dolan's removal in September 2006 and ran the company until May 2010.
Source - Lamberto Andreotti2010–2015
Chief Executive Officer
Andreotti, previously president and chief operating officer, became CEO on May 4, 2010.
Source - Giovanni Caforio2015–2023
Chief Executive Officer
Caforio, a physician, succeeded Lamberto Andreotti in May 2015. He led the $74 billion Celgene acquisition in 2019, the $13.1 billion MyoKardia deal in 2020 and the $4.1 billion Turning Point deal in 2022, and agreed the Mirati purchase in October 2023.
Source - Chris Boerner2023–present
Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer
Boerner became CEO in November 2023 and board chair on April 1, 2024, after serving as executive vice president, chief operating officer and CEO-designate from April 2023 and earlier as chief commercialization officer.
Source
Timeline: Apple and Bristol-Myers Squibb side by side
1858Bristol-Myers Squibb
Edward Robinson Squibb opens his Brooklyn laboratory
Navy surgeon Edward Robinson Squibb started making pure ether and other medicines in Brooklyn. The laboratory burned down on Christmas Eve 1858 and reopened in 1859 after local doctors and surgeons contributed $2,100.
1887Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol and Myers buy the Clinton Pharmaceutical Company
Hamilton College graduates William McLaren Bristol and John Ripley Myers bought the Clinton Pharmaceutical Company of Clinton, New York, the business that became Bristol-Myers.
1898Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol, Myers and Company is named
The founders renamed the business Bristol, Myers and Company in May 1898. After Myers died in 1899 it became Bristol-Myers, which built national brands in Sal Hepatica and, from 1901, Ipana toothpaste.
1944Bristol-Myers Squibb
Penicillin at wartime scale
Squibb opened what was then the world's largest penicillin plant in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Bristol-Myers had bought Cheplin Biological Laboratories in East Syracuse, New York, in 1943 and converted it to penicillin for Allied forces.
1976Apple
Apple is founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, turning an early personal-computer board into a company with a product and a market.
Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne founded Apple in 1976, when personal computing was still a hobbyist market.
1977Apple
The Apple II launches and gives the young company an expandable personal computer for schools, homes, and small businesses.
The Apple II turned a garage project into a business. Color graphics, expansion slots and a consumer-friendly design carried it into schools, homes and small offices, giving Apple a revenue base years before the Macintosh.
1980Apple
Apple completes its initial public offering in December 1980, raising capital and turning personal computing into a public-market story.
The December 1980 IPO gave Apple public-market capital and made personal computing look like a serious commercial category. It also raised the pressure to professionalize management, distribution and product planning as the company outgrew its founding team.
1984Apple
The Macintosh introduces a graphical interface and mouse-driven computing to a broad audience at a $2,495 launch price.
The Macintosh brought a graphical interface and a mouse to a mass-market computer and defined Apple's design identity.
1989Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers and Squibb merge
Bristol-Myers and Squibb combined to form Bristol-Myers Squibb, uniting a consumer and pharmaceutical company with a research-led drugmaker.
1997Apple
Apple completes the NeXT acquisition, bringing Steve Jobs back and supplying the operating-system foundation for the years that followed.
Apple's NeXT acquisition brought Steve Jobs back when the company was financially weak and unfocused.
2001Apple
Apple introduces the iPod on October 23, 2001, a 5GB music player priced at $399 that held about 1,000 songs.
The iPod put a hard-drive music library in a pocket at $399 and went on sale on November 10, 2001.
2006Bristol-Myers Squibb
CEO Peter Dolan removed over the Plavix deal
After an FBI raid in July 2006 over a patent settlement with generic maker Apotex on the blood thinner Plavix, the federal monitor urged the board to remove CEO Peter Dolan, who stepped down on September 12, 2006.
2007Apple
The iPhone is introduced as a phone, widescreen iPod, and internet communicator, moving Apple into the center of mobile computing.
The iPhone moved Apple into mobile computing and shifted the company's center of gravity away from the Mac. It also created the hardware base that later supported services, accessories and developer economics.
2008Apple
The App Store opens with 500 apps, creating a controlled software marketplace that becomes a major Services pillar.
The App Store launched with 500 apps and gave iPhone owners a single, controlled way to install third-party software.
2009Bristol-Myers Squibb
Medarex bought and Mead Johnson split off
BMS bought Medarex, gaining Yervoy and a share of what became Opdivo, and split off Mead Johnson Nutrition in an exchange offer, completing its shift to a specialty biopharmaceutical company.
2011Apple
Tim Cook becomes chief executive on August 24, 2011, after Steve Jobs resigns and the board names Cook to succeed him.
Apple's board named Tim Cook chief executive on August 24, 2011, when Steve Jobs resigned and recommended the succession plan be carried out.
2011Bristol-Myers Squibb
FDA approves Yervoy
Yervoy (ipilimumab) became the first drug shown to extend overall survival in advanced melanoma, opening BMS's immuno-oncology franchise.
2012Bristol-Myers Squibb
FDA approves Eliquis
The FDA approved Eliquis (apixaban), developed with Pfizer, in December 2012 for stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation. It became BMS's largest product, with $14.4 billion of sales in 2025.
2014Apple
Apple agrees to acquire Beats Music and Beats Electronics for $3 billion, its largest deal.
Apple agreed to buy Beats Music and Beats Electronics for a total of $3 billion, about $2.6 billion in purchase price plus roughly $400 million vesting over time, and brought in founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre.
2014Bristol-Myers Squibb
FDA approves Opdivo
The FDA approved the PD-1 inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab) in December 2014 for advanced melanoma. It reached $10.0 billion of sales in 2025.
2019Bristol-Myers Squibb
Celgene acquisition closes
BMS completed its $74 billion purchase of Celgene on November 20, 2019, adding Revlimid, Pomalyst, Reblozyl and CAR-T programs. Celgene sold Otezla to Amgen for $13.4 billion to win regulatory approval.
2020Apple
Apple announces the Mac transition to Apple silicon, deepening control over performance, power efficiency, and software optimization.
Apple began moving Mac computers off Intel processors and onto its own M-series chips in 2020.
2020Bristol-Myers Squibb
MyoKardia deal and a GAAP loss
BMS bought MyoKardia for $13.1 billion, gaining mavacamten (Camzyos). The deal's $11.4 billion in-process R&D charge pushed 2020 to a net loss despite $42.5 billion of revenue.
2022Bristol-Myers Squibb
Turning Point bought as Revlimid generics arrive
BMS completed the $4.1 billion purchase of Turning Point Therapeutics in August 2022 while volume-limited generic lenalidomide began eroding Revlimid, which had peaked at $12.8 billion in 2021.
2023Bristol-Myers Squibb
Chris Boerner becomes CEO
Chris Boerner succeeded Giovanni Caforio as chief executive in November 2023 and became board chair on April 1, 2024. Weeks earlier BMS had agreed to buy Mirati, and in December it agreed to buy Karuna and RayzeBio.
2024Apple
Vision Pro launches at $3,499 and gives Apple a shipping platform for spatial interfaces, sensors, and custom silicon.
Vision Pro gave Apple a live platform for spatial interfaces, eye and hand input, high-resolution displays and custom chips.
2024Bristol-Myers Squibb
Karuna, Mirati and RayzeBio close; Cobenfy approved
The three deals closed between January and March 2024. On September 26, 2024 the FDA approved Cobenfy, the first schizophrenia drug that targets muscarinic rather than dopamine receptors. The Karuna charge produced an $8.9 billion net loss for 2024.
2025Bristol-Myers Squibb
BioNTech partnership, Orbital deal and $48.2B revenue
BMS agreed in June 2025 to co-develop BioNTech's bispecific BNT327 and in October 2025 to buy Orbital Therapeutics for $1.5 billion. Full-year revenue was $48.2 billion with the Growth Portfolio up 17 percent.
2026Apple
John Ternus becomes chief executive on September 1, 2026, and Tim Cook becomes executive chairman.
John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, became chief executive on September 1, 2026, and Tim Cook became executive chairman after 15 years as CEO.
2026Bristol-Myers Squibb
Guidance raised and merger reports denied
On July 30, 2026 BMS raised its 2026 revenue guidance to $49.0 to $50.0 billion after second-quarter revenue of $12.97 billion. In August, reports of AstraZeneca merger talks were followed by a senior source telling Reuters there were no discussions.
Acquisitions
Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Orbital Therapeutics2025$1.5B
- Mirati Therapeutics2024$4.8B
- RayzeBio2024$4.1B
- Karuna Therapeutics2024$14B
- Turning Point Therapeutics2022$4.1B
- MyoKardia2020$13.1B
Questions about Apple vs Bristol-Myers Squibb
Who is the CEO of Apple Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company?
Apple Inc. is led by John Ternus and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company is led by Christopher Boerner. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Apple Inc. founded vs Bristol-Myers Squibb Company?
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company was founded in 1887 — 89 years before Apple Inc., which was founded in 1976. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Apple Inc..
How many employees does Apple Inc. have compared to Bristol-Myers Squibb Company?
Apple Inc. employs approximately 166,000 people, while Bristol-Myers Squibb Company employs approximately 32,500. Apple Inc. has the larger workforce at 166,000 employees, compared to Bristol-Myers Squibb Company's 32,500. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Apple Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company headquartered?
Both Apple Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Apple Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company?
Apple Inc. was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company was founded by Edward Robinson Squibb, William McLaren Bristol, John Ripley Myers.
Which company has a longer operating history — Apple Inc. or Bristol-Myers Squibb Company?
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company has been operating for approximately 139 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Apple Inc. has been in operation for around 50 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Apple vs Bristol-Myers Squibb overview