Jeff Segal of BreakingViews tries to calculate the value of Steve Jobs to Apple.
- Apple Mac Line at twice the industry average multiple (1.3 times revenue) is worth about $19 billion.
- iPod business at five times EBITDA is worth about $14 billion.
- iTunes music store at six times EBITDA is worth about $1 billion.
- iPhone business could be worth about $17 billion.
- Other businesses, about $11 billion, using Microsoft multiple of 2.8 times revenue.
In total, these businesses can be valued at $60 billion. Given that Apple has a market capitalization of $80 billion, Segal concludes that Jobs is worth $20 billion to Apple’s shareholders. Jobs gets a premium because he is the Pied Piper who makes it all come together, and that is why Apple shareholders need a rock-solid succession plan.
While Segal does have a point about the succession plan, I would be hard-pressed to buy into the $20 billion valuation. He also didn’t factor in the $24.5 mbillion in cash Apple has in its coffers. To me, Apple is Jobs and Jobs is Apple. What do you guys think?
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