Apple's App Store has been a bonanza for the people who build software

Earlier this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the company has paid out more than $50 billion to developers selling through its App Store.

This chart from Statista shows the rise in cumulative App Store payouts over time. Things really started taking off in 2013, then accelerated again in 2015. There's nothing obvious driving these accelerations except for the ever-increasing installed base of iPhones and iPads, which grows by tens of millions of people every year.

Developers are paid 70% of the sale price of products sold through the App Store, so this means that total sales have topped $70 billion, and that Apple has booked over $20 billion from App Store sales.

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