Apple vs Morgan Stanley: Founders, CEOs and History
Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne and is led by John Ternus. Morgan Stanley was founded in 1935 by Henry S. Morgan, Harold Stanley and is led by Ted Pick.
Company facts
Apple
- Founded
- 1976
- Headquarters
- Cupertino, California
- Current CEO
- John Ternus
- Employees
- 166,000
Morgan Stanley
- Founded
- 1935
- Headquarters
- New York, New York, United States
- Current CEO
- Ted Pick
- Employees
- 83,000
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.
Morgan Stanley
Henry S. Morgan
Henry S. Morgan co-founded Morgan Stanley in 1935 after the Glass-Steagall Act required J.P. Morgan & Co. to separate its securities business from commercial banking.
Harold Stanley
Harold Stanley (1885-1963) co-founded Morgan Stanley in 1935 alongside Henry S. Morgan. Following the passage of the Glass-Steagall Act, which forced banks to separate commercial and investment banking, Stanley left J.P. Morgan & Co.
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
Morgan Stanley
- Philip J. Purcell1997–2005
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
A group of former executives campaigned against him in 2005 and he resigned that June. John Mack succeeded him.
Source - John J. Mack2005–2009
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
He agreed the Smith Barney joint venture with Citigroup in 2009. James Gorman succeeded him as chief executive at the start of 2010.
Source - James Gorman2010–2023
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Gorman's tenure moved Morgan Stanley toward recurring fee revenue. He became executive chairman after stepping down as CEO and left the board at the end of 2024.
Source - Ted Pick2024–present
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Under Pick, Morgan Stanley reported record 2025 net revenues of $70.6B and record Q2 2026 results.
Source
Timeline: Apple and Morgan Stanley side by side
1935Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley Founded
Henry S. Morgan and Harold Stanley officially launch the top investment bank following the historic Glass-Steagall split.
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.
1996Morgan Stanley
Acquired Van Kampen American Capital
Morgan Stanley acquired Van Kampen American Capital in 1996.
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.
1997Morgan Stanley
Merged with Dean Witter Discover & Co
Morgan Stanley merged with Dean Witter Discover & Co in February 1997.
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.
2005Morgan Stanley
John Mack Returns as CEO
John Mack returned as chief executive in June 2005 after Philip Purcell resigned.
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.
2008Morgan Stanley
Bank Holding Company Conversion
Facing total catastrophic collapse, the firm converts into a traditional bank holding company to survive the global financial crisis.
2009Morgan Stanley
The Smith Barney Acquisition
then-CEO James Gorman masterminds the acquisition of Smith Barney, instantly creating a dominant retail wealth management leader.
2010Morgan Stanley
James Gorman Becomes CEO
James Gorman became chief executive of Morgan Stanley in January 2010.
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.
2018Morgan Stanley
Acquired Mesa West
Morgan Stanley acquired Mesa West in March 2018.
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.
2020Morgan Stanley
E*TRADE Acquisition
Morgan Stanley dominates the self-directed brokerage market by acquiring E*TRADE for $13 billion.
2021Morgan Stanley
Acquired Eaton Vance
Morgan Stanley acquired Eaton Vance for $7 billion. Morgan Stanley acquired Eaton Vance for about $7B, completed in March 2021, adding Parametric, Calvert, and Atlanta Capital.
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.
2024Morgan Stanley
Ted Pick Appointed CEO
Following a competitive internal succession, Ted Pick takes the helm to heavily drive the integration strategy.
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.
Acquisitions
Morgan Stanley
- Eaton Vance2021$7B
- E*TRADE2020$13B
- Smith Barney2009Undisclosed
Questions about Apple vs Morgan Stanley
Who is the CEO of Apple Inc. and Morgan Stanley?
Apple Inc. is led by John Ternus and Morgan Stanley is led by Ted Pick. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Apple Inc. founded vs Morgan Stanley?
Morgan Stanley was founded in 1935 — 41 years before Apple Inc., which was founded in 1976. Morgan Stanley'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 Morgan Stanley?
Apple Inc. employs approximately 166,000 people, while Morgan Stanley employs approximately 83,000. Apple Inc. has the larger workforce at 166,000 employees, compared to Morgan Stanley's 83,000. 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 Morgan Stanley headquartered?
Both Apple Inc. and Morgan Stanley are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Apple Inc. and Morgan Stanley?
Apple Inc. was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne. Morgan Stanley was founded by Henry S. Morgan, Harold Stanley.
Which company has a longer operating history — Apple Inc. or Morgan Stanley?
Morgan Stanley has been operating for approximately 91 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 Morgan Stanley overview