To the absolute heartbreak of diehard Apple fans the world over, the company announced that Tim Cook will step down as CEO on September 1, 2026. His replacement will be John Ternus, who currently serves as the senior vice president of hardware engineering at Apple. Cook will remain at Apple, possibly lurking in the shadows, as he will take on an advisory position as executive chairman of Apple's board of directors.
Cook had reportedly been considering retirement for a while now. However, the announcement timing still came as a shock to many. Cook joined Apple in 1998 and became the company's CEO in 2011. Throughout his tenure as CEO, he oversaw the creation and launch of several major Apple products such as the Apple Watch, AirPods, and the Apple Vision Pro. During this same span of time, Apple also launched new services including iCloud, Apple Pay, Apple TV, and Apple Music. Cook also saw Apple grow from a company worth $350 billion to over $4 trillion today.
In the months ahead before Cook retires, he will work alongside Ternus to ensure a smooth transition.
It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company. I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world," said Cook.
"John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor. He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future. I could not be more confident in his abilities and his character, and I look forward to working closely with him on this transition and in my new role as executive chairman.
"John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor. He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future. I could not be more confident in his abilities and his character, and I look forward to working closely with him on this transition and in my new role as executive chairman.
It has been a privilege to help shape the products and experiences that have changed so much of how we interact with the world and with one another. I am filled with optimism about what we can achieve in the years to come, and I am so happy to know that the most talented people on earth are here at Apple, determined to be part of something bigger than any one of us. I am humbled to step into this role, and I promise to lead with the values and vision that have come to define this special place for half a century.
A couple of additional changes are taking place on September 1, 2026. In addition to taking over as CEO, Ternus will join the board of directors at Apple. On the same day, non-executive chairman Arthur Levinson will become Apple's new lead independent director.
As part of their announcement, Apple was kind enough to provide a photo (see above) of a couple of guys just laughing and being dudes.
