It marks the end of an era at Apple as CEO Tim Cook has announced that he will step down from his role after leading the company for nearly 15 years.
Cook will continue as CEO until September 1, 2026, after which he will move into the role of executive chairman on Apple’s board. He will be succeeded by John Ternus, who currently heads the company’s hardware engineering division.
Cook took over as CEO in 2011 from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. During his leadership, Apple saw major growth and launched popular products and services like the Apple Watch, Apple Music, and Apple TV+.
Under Cook, Apple became the first US company to reach a market value of $1 trillion in 2018 and later crossed $4 trillion in 2022. When he became CEO, the company’s market value was around $350 billion.
In a letter to the Apple community, Cook called being the CEO “the best job in the world.” He shared that messages from Apple users meant a lot to him and said he feels grateful to have led a company that has impacted people’s lives.
Cook also praised John Ternus, calling him the “perfect person” to lead Apple forward. He said Ternus has spent many years building products and is focused on improving them further.
Even after stepping down, Cook will remain involved with Apple as part of the board. He also made it clear that this is not a goodbye, but a transition into a new role.
He ended his message by thanking Apple users and expressing gratitude for the opportunity to lead one of the world’s biggest companies.
