American tech giant Apple is currently the most valuable company in the world thanks to a market capitalization of just over $3.5 trillion as of late October 2024.
The largest stockholders of Apple are major financial institutions, who hold AAPL shares on behalf of their clients through investment products. Currently, the biggest Apple stockholder overall is Vanguard Group, which owns 1.32 billion shares in the company (around 8.71% of shares outstanding). Blackrock is the second largest holder with 1.05 billion shares (6.91%).
When it comes to insider shareholders, Apple’s chairman of the board Arthur D. Levinson is the biggest AAPL holder with 4.41 million shares, worth just over $1 billion. Apple CEO Tim Cook is the second largest insider shareholder, owning 3.28 million shares, worth about $761 million.
Who owns Apple? A breakdown of top Apple stock holders
We’ve broken down the ownership structure of Apple according to various investor categories, focusing on institutional owners, mutual funds and ETFs, as well as major AAPL holders among company insiders.
Top 10 institutional owners of Apple
The top 10 largest institutional shareholders of Apple control over 31% of AAPL shares in circulation. Here are the ten largest AAPL shareholders:
Stockholder Stake Shares Owned Total value Vanguard 8.71% 1.32 billion $307 billion BlackRock 6.91% 1.05 billion $243 billion State Street 3.47% 528 million $122 billion Berkshire Hathaway 2.63% 400 million $92 billion FMR 2.27% 345 million $80 billion Geode Capital Management 2.06% 313 million $72 billion Morgan Stanley 1.52% 231 million $53 billion T. Rowe Price 1.50% 228 million $53 billion JP Morgan Chase 1.19% 180 million $41 billion Norges Bank 1.17% 177 million $41 billion
Data collected on October 30, 2024. Source: Yahoo Finance
Vanguard
Vanguard ranks among the world’s largest investment management firms, overseeing $8.1 trillion in assets. Established in 1975, it is well-known for its emphasis on low-cost index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Vanguard provides an extensive selection of investment products and services tailored to both individual and institutional investors.
AAPL relative stake: 8.71%
AAPL shares owned: 1.32 billion
Total value of AAPL owned: $307 billion
BlackRock
BlackRock is a top global investment management and financial services firm, managing an impressive $10 trillion in assets. Founded in 1988, BlackRock primarily serves institutional clients, including pension funds, insurance companies, and governments, alongside individual investors.
AAPL relative stake: 6.91%
AAPL shares owned: 1.05 billion
Total value of AAPL owned: $243 billion
State Street
SSGA Funds Management, commonly known as State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), is a major global investment management firm and a subsidiary of State Street Corporation. SSGA manages over $4.1 trillion in assets.
AAPL relative stake: 3.47%
AAPL shares owned: 528 million
Total value of AAPL owned: $122 billion
Top 10 funds holding AAPL
Now, let’s take a closer look at the largest holders of Apple stock among funds (ETFs and mutual funds).
Fund Stake Shares Owned Total value Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund 3.03% 460 million $106 billion Vanguard 500 Index Fund 2.43% 369 million $85 billion SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust 1.21% 184 million $42 billion Fidelity 500 Index Fund 1.17% 177 million $41 billion iShares Core S&P 500 ETF 1.09% 165 million $38 billion Vanguard Growth Index Fund 0.95% 143 million $33 billion Invesco QQQ ETF 0.75% 114 million $26 billion Vanguard Institutional Index Fund 0.62% 93 million $21 billion Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund 0.47% 70 million $16 billion iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF 0.34% 52 million $12 billion
Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund (VTSAX)
The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF offers investors wide-ranging exposure to the entire U.S. stock market. By investing in this ETF, individuals can tap into the potential long-term growth of the overall U.S. market.
AAPL relative stake: 3.03%
AAPL shares owned: 460 million
Total value of AAPL owned: $106 billion
Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFIAX)
The Vanguard 500 Index Fund is a low-cost investment product that provides investors with diversified exposure to 500 of the largest companies in the United States. The fund is designed to track the performance of the S&P 500 index.
AAPL relative stake: 2.43%
AAPL shares owned: 369 million
Total value of AAPL owned: $85 billion
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY)
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust aims to deliver investment outcomes that, before expenses, closely match the price and yield performance of the S&P 500 index. This index is structured to gauge the performance of the large-cap segment of the U.S. equity market.
AAPL relative stake: 1.21%
AAPL shares owned: 184 million
Total value of AAPL owned: $42 billion
Top insider Apple stock holders
Let’s continue our exploration of Apple Inc owners by highlighting the top insider Apple stock holders.
Arthur D. Levinson
Arthur D. Levinson is the chairman of Apple's board of directors and a prominent figure in the biotech industry. He is the former CEO and current chairman of Genentech, a leading biotech company, and has been influential in both technology and life sciences. Known for his scientific expertise, Levinson holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry and has received multiple awards for his contributions to medical research and innovation.
AAPL relative stake: 0.029%
AAPL shares owned: 4.41 million
Total value of AAPL owned: $1.02 billion
Tim Cook
Tim Cook is the CEO of Apple Inc., a position he has held since 2011 after succeeding Steve Jobs. Known for his expertise in supply chain management and operational efficiency, Cook initially joined Apple in 1998 as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations. Under his leadership, Apple has expanded its product line and entered new markets, including wearables, services, and sustainability initiatives.
AAPL relative stake: 0.021%
AAPL shares owned: 3.28 million
Total value of AAPL owned: $760 million
Jeff Williams
Jeff Williams is Apple’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), often regarded as the company’s "operations guru." Joining Apple in 1998, Williams played a crucial role in managing Apple's global supply chain, and his responsibilities expanded over the years to include overseeing Apple's entire hardware engineering, operations, and customer service.
AAPL relative stake: 0.0032%
AAPL shares owned: 489,944
Total value of AAPL owned: $113 million
Al Gore
Al Gore is an environmentalist, former U.S. Vice President, and Nobel Laureate known for his advocacy on climate change. He served as the 45th Vice President under President Bill Clinton and later became a prominent climate activist. Gore joined Apple’s board of directors in 2003, where he provides strategic insight, particularly on sustainability initiatives and environmental policies.
AAPL relative stake: 0.0030%
AAPL shares owned: 468,995
Total value of AAPL owned: $108 million
Craig Federighi
Craig Federighi is Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, responsible for the development of iOS, macOS, and Apple’s core software frameworks. Known for his charismatic presentations at Apple events, Federighi plays a pivotal role in shaping the user experience across Apple devices, leading advancements in privacy, security, and software design.
AAPL relative stake: 0.0027%
AAPL shares owned: 412,571
Total value of AAPL owned: $95 million
The bottom line
The ownership structure of Apple is not too different from the ownership structures of many other giant companies, with large financial institutions holding large portions of shares outstanding.
Notably, company insiders have relatively small ownership interests in Apple, as the biggest insider shareholder Arthur D. Levinson only owns about 0.029% of Apple shares. Still, even such a small stake translates to over $1 billion, and our Apple price prediction suggests it could be even more valuable in the future.
If you’re interested in reading more about Apple, make sure to check out our article exploring the question if Apple can reach $1,000.
