Tim Cook announced in a letter posted Monday that he will step down as Apple CEO and become the company’s executive chairman in September. John Ternus, a 25-year Apple engineer who has led hardware engineering across the iPad, AirPods, Mac, Apple Watch and iPhone lines, will succeed him as chief executive.
Cook, 65, framed his departure personally, saying that for the past 15 years he began each morning by reading messages from users who described how Apple products had touched their lives — from a perfect summit selfie to a parent saved by an Apple Watch. He expressed gratitude for leading “a company that ignites imaginations and enriches lives in such profound ways it defies description.”
Cook took over from cofounder Steve Jobs and became known for a calm, operations-focused approach. During his tenure he reworked Apple’s supply chains, pushed the company to design its own chips, and expanded Apple into services with subscription offerings such as Apple News, Apple TV and Apple Pay. Under Cook’s leadership Apple’s market value rose to roughly $4 trillion and the iPhone remained a dominant global smartphone.
In 2014 Cook became the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a moment widely seen as significant for LGBTQ representation in corporate leadership.
Analysts say Ternus’s promotion signals a renewed emphasis on hardware. “I think this is definitely a signal that we’re doubling down on hardware,” said Jo-Ellen Pozner, an associate professor at Santa Clara University’s business school, noting Ternus’s deep engineering background and product responsibilities.
Cook’s era also included strategic challenges. Apple has lagged competing firms in generative AI and earlier this year began relying on Google’s AI to power features such as Siri. The company remains heavily dependent on China for manufacturing; executives have begun diversifying production, but experts say reducing reliance will be lengthy. “They have spent so long getting so focused on China that it is taking them a very long time — and will take them probably decades — to not be completely reliant on China,” said Jason Snell, who covers Apple.
Apple is a financial supporter of NPR.
Editors’ note: This story was updated to add expert comments on Tim Cook’s role at Apple. April 20, 2026.