Apple vs Hitachi: Founders, CEOs and History
Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne and is led by John Ternus. Hitachi was founded in 1910 by Namihei Odaira and is led by Toshiaki Tokunaga.
Company facts
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.
Hitachi
Namihei Odaira
Hitachi possesses a historic, foundational founding story, rooted in the industrialization of early 20th-century Japan and driven by a nationalist obsession with technological independence.
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
Hitachi
- Toshiaki Higashihara2016–2022
Former President and Chief Executive Officer
Shifted Hitachi from a sprawling conglomerate toward infrastructure and digital businesses.
Source - Keiji Kojima2022–2025
Executive Chairman (CEO 2022-2025)
Finished much of the portfolio cleanup and handed over a more focused group to Tokunaga.
Source - Toshiaki Tokunaga2025–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
Brings an energy and rail background to the top job as Hitachi Energy and Hitachi Rail drive more of the group's growth.
Source
Timeline: Apple and Hitachi side by side
1910Hitachi
Founding and First Induction Motor
Namihei Odaira establishes the machinery repair shop that becomes Hitachi, and develops Japan's first 5-horsepower induction motor, establishing the foundation for the company's dominance in electrical engineering.
1932Hitachi
Expansion into Railway Technology
Hitachi begins manufacturing electric locomotives and rail signaling systems, establishing a deep, institutionalized relationship with the Japanese national railway network that would evolve into the modern Hitachi Rail division.
1959Hitachi
Entry into Computing and Electronics
Hitachi develops its first electronic computer, the HITAC, marking the company's strategic entry into the information technology sector and laying the groundwork for its future digital systems business.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
2016Hitachi
Toshiaki Higashihara becomes CEO
Toshiaki Higashihara became CEO of Hitachi in 2016. Shifted Hitachi from a sprawling conglomerate toward infrastructure and digital businesses.
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.
2020Hitachi
Acquisition of ABB's Power Grids Business
Hitachi executes the $11 billion acquisition of ABB's Power Grids business, renaming it Hitachi Energy and instantly establishing the company as the global leader in HVDC transmission and grid infrastructure.
2021Hitachi
Acquisition of GlobalLogic
The company acquires the global digital engineering firm GlobalLogic for $9.6 billion, instantly establishing Hitachi as a top-tier provider of advanced software and product design services for the automotive and telecommunications sectors.
2022Hitachi
Hitachi Construction Machinery Stake Sale
Hitachi sold a controlling stake in Hitachi Construction Machinery to Itochu and Japan Industrial Partners, part of its exit from cyclical listed subsidiaries.
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.
2024Hitachi
Acquired Thales Ground Transportation Systems
Hitachi acquired Thales Ground Transportation Systems. Hitachi Rail completed its ~$1.88 billion (EUR 1.66 billion) acquisition of Thales's Ground Transportation Systems business, its rail signalling division, expanding Hitachi Rail to 51 countries and shiftin…
2025Hitachi
Toshiaki Tokunaga Becomes CEO
Toshiaki Tokunaga became President and CEO on April 1, 2025, succeeding Keiji Kojima, who became Executive Chairman.
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.
2026Hitachi
Record Results and Home Appliance Sale
Hitachi reported record FY2025 profit in April 2026 and agreed to sell 80.1% of its home appliance business to Nojima for about $737 million (¥110 billion).
Acquisitions
Hitachi
- Thales Ground Transportation Systems2024Undisclosed
- GlobalLogic2021Undisclosed
- ABB Power Grids2020Undisclosed
Questions about Apple vs Hitachi
Who is the CEO of Apple Inc. and Hitachi, Ltd.?
Apple Inc. is led by John Ternus and Hitachi, Ltd. is led by Toshiaki Tokunaga. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Apple Inc. founded vs Hitachi, Ltd.?
Hitachi, Ltd. was founded in 1910 — 66 years before Apple Inc., which was founded in 1976. Hitachi, Ltd.'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 Hitachi, Ltd.?
Apple Inc. employs approximately 166,000 people, while Hitachi, Ltd. employs approximately 287,901. Hitachi, Ltd. has the larger workforce at 287,901 employees, compared to Apple Inc.'s 166,000. 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 Hitachi, Ltd. headquartered?
Apple Inc. is headquartered in United States and Hitachi, Ltd. is headquartered in Japan. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Apple Inc. and Hitachi, Ltd.?
Apple Inc. was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne. Hitachi, Ltd. was founded by Namihei Odaira.
Which company has a longer operating history — Apple Inc. or Hitachi, Ltd.?
Hitachi, Ltd. has been operating for approximately 116 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 Hitachi overview