Archive · 31 Aug 2026
Tim Cook Ends Apple CEO Tenure; John Ternus Takes Over
Tim Cook is finishing nearly 15 years as Apple’s CEO.
He became CEO after Steve Jobs stepped down in 2011.
Cook will remain at Apple as executive chairman instead of leaving completely.
John Ternus will become the new CEO on September 1, 2026.
Under Cook, Apple’s sales and market value grew a great deal.
Services such as Apple Music, iCloud, Apple Pay, and the App Store became a major part of the business.
Apple also expanded products like the Apple Watch and AirPods and built its own chips for Mac computers.
Ternus must now help Apple compete in artificial intelligence while managing supply and cost problems.
Tim Cook leaves Apple’s CEO role on August 31, 2026, after nearly 15 years and becomes executive chairman.
John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, becomes CEO on September 1, 2026.
Apple’s revenue grew from about $108 billion in 2011 to more than $400 billion, while Services reached roughly $109 billion in 2025.
Cook’s tenure included the expansion of Services, Apple Watch, AirPods, privacy initiatives, shareholder returns, and Apple-designed Mac chips.
Ternus inherits challenges involving delayed AI features, generative-AI competition, memory shortages, component costs, and Vision Pro’s weak adoption.
- Who
- Tim Cook, John Ternus, Apple, and Apple’s board.
- What
- Cook is stepping down as CEO and becoming executive chairman, while Ternus becomes Apple’s CEO.
- When
- Cook’s final day as CEO is August 31, 2026; Ternus takes over on September 1, 2026.
- Where
- The leadership change concerns Apple; Cook’s reported farewell event took place at the company’s Caffè Macs cafeteria in Cupertino, California.
- Why
- Apple’s board approved a long-term succession plan, while Cook will continue offering strategic guidance and engaging with policymakers in his new role.
Growth and Continuity
Challenges and Criticism
Cook’s legacy
Growth and Continuity
Supporters point to Apple’s major revenue and market-value growth, expansion of Services and wearables, Apple-designed chips, privacy initiatives, and shareholder returns.
Challenges and Criticism
Cautious observers note that Vision Pro has struggled to gain market adoption and that Apple’s success in new product categories has been uneven.
Artificial intelligence
Growth and Continuity
Apple’s custom chips and on-device processing provide a foundation for Apple Intelligence and privacy-focused AI features.
Challenges and Criticism
Apple has faced delays with its upgraded Siri and remains behind companies such as OpenAI in generative AI, creating a major challenge for Ternus.
Privacy positioning
Growth and Continuity
Cook made privacy and security central to Apple’s public identity and product messaging.
Challenges and Criticism
Apple’s use of Google as Safari’s default search engine creates tension with its privacy-focused marketing.
Leadership transition
Growth and Continuity
Cook will remain executive chairman and provide strategic guidance, policy engagement, and support for a smooth transition.
Challenges and Criticism
Ternus will make the key operating decisions as CEO while confronting AI pressure, memory shortages, higher component costs, and other challenges.
- Outgoing CEO
- Tim Cook
- Incoming CEO
- John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering
- Cook’s new role
- Executive chairman of Apple’s board
- Cook’s tenure
- Nearly 15 years, beginning in August 2011
- Revenue growth
- From about $108 billion in fiscal 2011 to more than $400 billion in the latest fiscal year
- Services revenue
- Approximately $109 billion in fiscal 2025, including a reported $109.1 billion last year
- Mac chip transition
- Apple announced the move away from Intel processors in 2020 and completed the transition across its Mac range by 2023
- Market value estimates
- Articles variously describe Apple’s market capitalization as rising from roughly $350 billion to around $4 trillion or $5 trillion
Sources
'Thank you for being a constant source of inspiration': Tim Cook bids farewell to Apple as CEO
Tim Cook’s last day as Apple CEO: 6 Big things that changed under his leadership
Tim Cook Signs Off On Last Day As Apple CEO, Says "My Gratitude Is Endless"
