Photo Credit: Apple
Dubai, UAE – Sept. 2026 – After 15 years leading the world’s most valuable technology company, Tim Cook has officially stepped down as CEO of Apple, closing out one of the most consequential tenures in the company’s history.
Monday, August 31, was Cook’s final day in the role; John Ternus, Apple’s longtime senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, takes over as CEO effective today.
In a post on X, Cook said: “Sending lots of love to the Apple community on my last day as CEO. My title changes tomorrow, but the love I have for the Apple community never will.”
The top official thanked the community for being a constant source of inspiration. “My gratitude is endless, and I’m excited for the next chapter!”
Cook joined Apple in 1998 as senior vice president of worldwide operations, brought in to overhaul the company’s supply chain and manufacturing. He became CEO in August 2011, stepping in after Steve Jobs resigned due to declining health. Jobs died two months later, leaving Cook to lead Apple without its co-founder for the first time.
What followed was less a repeat of the Jobs era than a new chapter defined by scale and diversification.
Under Cook, Apple became the first US company to reach a $1 trillion market cap, and later crossed the $4 trillion mark. Cook witnessed the launch of the Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod, and Vision Pro while Apple built out a services business — Apple Music, iCloud, Apple Pay, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and AppleCare — that grew into a major pillar of the company’s revenue, reducing its reliance on iPhone sales alone.
Apple announced Cook’s succession plan back in April, saying he had decided the timing was right because, in his words, the business was strong, the product roadmap was solid, and Ternus was ready.
Cook, now 65, is not leaving the company entirely, he moves into the role of executive chairman, where he’s expected to focus on Apple’s relationships with policymakers, including the Trump administration and the Chinese government.
Ternus, 51, has spent nearly his entire career at Apple, joining in 2001 and rising to lead hardware engineering.
Departure lands days before a landmark Apple event
Cook’s exit comes just over a week before Apple’s next major hardware event, a “Surprise and Shine” showcase scheduled for Wednesday, September 9. Cook will not appear at the event, it will be led by Ternus in his first major public moment as CEO.
The event is expected to be one of the most significant in years. Apple is widely reported to be preparing to unveil its first-ever foldable iPhone, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and new Apple Watch models.
If confirmed, the foldable device would mark Apple’s entry into a device category pioneered by rivals like Samsung, and would be the first genuinely new iPhone form factor since the device launched in 2007, making it a fitting, high-stakes debut for Apple’s new CEO.
Photo Credit: Apple
