Apple's Tim Cook started out in the world of work with a humble $1.10-an-hour job

(Credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg—Getty Images)

• Apple CEO Tim Cook got his first job at just 11 and couldn’t afford his MBA without working—but that’s not what he says shaped his work ethic

It’s hard to recall a time before Tim Cook worked at Apple—after all he joined the company in 1998, before iPods (RIP) even existed. But long before helming the world of iPhones, iMacs, and iPads, Cook could be found tossing the latest newspaper into the front gardens of Robertsdale, Ala. residents.