Apple Has Spent $175 Billion on R&D Since the Start of 2013 -- but It's the $651 Billion Spent on Something Else That's the Real Jaw-Dropper
Although it's been surpassed by Microsoft as the largest publicly traded company by market cap, few tech giants have delivered for investors quite like (NASDAQ: AAPL).
Despite its ebbs and flows, shares of Apple have scurried higher by 790% over the trailing-10-year period and have skyrocketed by almost 132,000% since its initial public offering in December 1980. Investors who simply purchased shares of Apple and did nothing else have historically done pretty well.
While there's a laundry list of catalysts that have lifted Apple's valuation over time, the company's success ultimately boils down to two factors: innovation and a surprising "investment" that's been highly beneficial to its shareholders.
Source Fool.com