The last day of Tim Cook as Apple CEO: Welcome, John Ternus
Today, after 15 years as the CEO of iconic tech giant Apple, Tim Cook will bring this chapter in his career to an end.
John Ternus and Tim Cook. By Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
- Tim Cook is ending his 15-year run as Apple CEO and will remain as executive chairman.
- John Ternus takes over on September 1 after leading Apple's hardware engineering team.
- Apple expects Ternus to push AI deeper into product development, testing, and device reliability.
- Cook leaves after Apple revenue nearly quadrupled and the company's value reached about $4.67 trillion.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
John Ternus takes the reins of the multi-trillion-dollar company on September 1st.
The transition was already announced in April this year, as Cook reportedly started seriously considering Ternus as his successor 2 years ago.
The incoming CEO, who is serving his last day as Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, has been with the company since 2001, when he joined its design team, and became a member of the executive team in 2021.
Ternus, 51, is described as being instrumental in the introduction of multiple new product lines, including iPad and AirPods, as well as many generations of products across iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.
Now, one of the main challenges for the new boss is AI, as the company looks to integrate this technology even further into its products and services. According to Bloomberg, Ternus has introduced an AI platform designed to accelerate Apple's product development while improving hardware testing and device reliability.
Meanwhile, as the incoming CEO has been primarily focused on hardware, other executives at the company are expected to become more influential in financial decisions and service development. The latter business segment has become a major revenue source at Apple under Cook.
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Cook had a successful stint at the helm, increasing the company’s revenue almost fourfold, reaching $416 billion in 2025. Apple's market cap jumped 13x, surpassing $1 trillion, and now stands at around $4.67 trillion. He will stay at the company as executive chairman.
In either case, both the tech industry as a whole and the market will be watching closely to see how Ternus performs, as Cook's demonstrated trust in his successor. The corporate world has already seen multiple cases when previous long-term iconic CEOs returned to their roles after clashes with their successors.
However, according to Bloomberg's sources close to Apple, the Cook-Ternus duo is most similar to Amazon's successful transition, in which Jeff Bezos gave up the CEO title and responsibilities, appointing Andy Jassy as CEO.
