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If anything, an employee could just move to a company with better perks.

Instead, their ambition and motivation appears to be large enough to accept smaller salaries and benefits to start their own company.

That's not really an answer. Many companies offer just that and more.

But with Apple there is the "aunt and your friends and family factor". Everybody has heard of Apple and a large swath of people would tend to be impressed by the fact that you worked there. It would also tend to be the type of place that obviously looks good on your resume if you need to get another job in the future so it offers that as additional security.

Techies might care that you worked at Tesla, much of the rest of the world does not.

You'd think so, but in my experience everyone, family or otherwise, warned to know secret information and were embarrassed and awkward when interacting with Android devices near me. The factor you allege was largely a wash for me.

There are many companies that offer just that "status" as well.

I don't know why you think Apple is special in any way when it comes to jobs. In fact, I heard they're worse, exactly because of the "status" that comes with it.

Further summing up: It's a great career "statisfice".