Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and technology investor, stated that Apple has failed to introduce significant innovations since the death of Steve Jobs in 2011. In an interview with Walter Isaacson, Thiel argued that the company has spent the last 15 years focusing on scaling operations, brand management, and refining existing products rather than creating new inventions.
The company faces ongoing criticism regarding its lack of breakthroughs beyond smartphones and tablets. In the current AI landscape, Apple's Siri assistant is considered to be trailing behind competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic. Despite these critiques, Apple maintains a strong market presence, with products like the MacBook, iPhone, and AirPods continuing to see high consumer demand.
Thiel previously predicted in 2017 that Apple's era had ended, yet the company's stock price has continued to rise steadily since that time. He currently characterizes Apple as a well-managed value stock. However, he maintains that the societal contributions of figures like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk remain significantly greater than those of current CEO Tim Cook.
