Apple's cash reserve

Apple has frankly a stupid amount of money in the bank. A few facts..

Apple's reserve is worth more than Nokia, RIM and Motorola Mobility’s market caps, put together.
Apple’s reserve is worth half of Google’s enterprise value.
If Apple had no revenues (i.e. didn't sell a single phone, ipod, computer or piece of software), the current cash would sustain operations (SG&A and R&D) for over 7 years or until the middle of 2018.

There's an image in my head of Steve Jobs paddling around in an enormous swimming pool full of money like Scrooge McDuck.

Jon

Nice image

I think of this money as Apple’s Google or Microsoft Fund. If Microsoft sought to buy Adobe, for instance, Apple would be in a position to step in with a larger cash offer. Similarly if Google attempted to buy an operation that is central to the Mac ecosystem, though I think that less likely.

It also means Apple can pay cash to guarantee future supplies — as it seems to have done to reserve a significant proportion of display and flash memory output.

Yes and with all that cash they can ask for a discount without VAT.

It's an amusing though, Jobs ringing Intel and asking 'How much for cash mate? Nah, I don't need a reciept, if you know what I mean...'