Tim Cook stepping down as Apple CEO, John Ternus succeeds
Business
Big change at Apple: Tim Cook will step down as CEO on September 1, 2026, and move into the executive chairman role.
John Ternus is set to take over as the new CEO.
The announcement got a lot of love online. OpenAI's Sam Altman even called Cook a "legend" and praised his legacy.
Cook grew Apple to $4T valuation
Cook joined Apple back in 1998 and became CEO in 2011.
Under his leadership, Apple's value shot up from $350 billion to $4 trillion, thanks to hits like the iPad, AirPods, and Apple Watch.
He also pushed into new tech like mixed reality with Vision Pro and managed one of the world's trickiest supply chains.
Reflecting on his time at Apple, Cook called it the greatest privilege of his life and thanked his team for always pushing for innovation.