Tim Cook Steps Down as Apple CEO After 15 Years of Leadership

Tim Cook completed his final day as chief executive officer of Apple on 31/08/2026, ending a 15-year tenure in the role before becoming executive chairman of the company’s board. In his final message to Apple employees, Cook described the transition as the conclusion of a role he had “loved deeply” while making clear that his decision had been considered rather than sudden. He wrote that he would miss leading Apple “in ways I can only begin to imagine,” while adding that he remained “completely at peace with my decision.” Cook had served as Apple CEO since August 2011, when he succeeded co-founder Steve Jobs. His departure from the CEO position had been announced months earlier as part of a long-term succession process unanimously approved by Apple’s Board of Directors. John Ternus, Apple’s longtime hardware engineering executive, was selected to become CEO effective 01/09/2026. Cook remained at Apple as executive chairman and continued to assist with selected areas of the company, including engagement with policymakers around the world. Cook’s final employee memo focused heavily on Apple’s internal culture rather than financial results. He wrote that what made him most proud could not be captured in an annual report, stating, “This place is proof that culture triumphs over everything.” He described Apple employees as sharing a belief that their work carried both an opportunity and a responsibility to leave the world better than they found it. Reflecting on Apple’s collective work, Cook also invoked a phrase associated with Steve Jobs, writing that employees had made it possible to leave their “dent in the universe.” He credited that outcome to shared values and collaboration rather than to any individual executive. Cook concluded that part of the reflection with the words, “How fortunate we are. How fortunate I am.” Cook also used his final memo to express confidence in his successor. He described Ternus as “brilliant and wonderful and capable” and said he took “enormous comfort” in handing leadership to him. Cook wrote that few people understood what was required to build products capable of changing the world in the way Ternus did, adding that he was excited about his leadership. Ternus had spent approximately 25 years at Apple and had most recently served as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. The transition did not represent Cook’s departure from Apple. In his memo, he explicitly told employees, “I am not leaving Apple.” His new position as executive chairman began on 01/09/2026. Apple had previously said that Cook would continue contributing to selected aspects of the company while Ternus assumed responsibility for its day-to-day executive leadership. Cook expressed similar sentiments publicly on his final day as CEO. In a social media message to the Apple community, he said that although his title would change the following day, his connection to the community would not. He thanked customers and users for providing inspiration throughout his tenure and said his gratitude was “endless.” His earlier Apple Community Letter had presented the leadership transition in similar terms. Cook recalled receiving messages from Apple users around the world during his years as CEO and described those interactions as a source of gratitude and responsibility. In the letter, he called serving as Apple CEO an “honor and a privilege” and described Ternus as a leader who understood Apple’s products, culture and values. Cook’s CEO tenure covered a period in which Apple expanded from a company valued at roughly $350 billion in 2011 to more than $4 trillion by the time of the succession. Annual revenue grew from approximately $108 billion in fiscal 2011 to more than $416 billion in fiscal 2025. His period as CEO also included the introduction of Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple Vision Pro, the transition of Mac computers to Apple-designed silicon, and the expansion of Apple’s services business to more than $100 billion in annual revenue.