Tim Cook is stepping down as Apple’s chief executive and will become the company’s executive chairman in September, he announced in a letter posted Monday. Cook, 65, said John Ternus, a 25-year Apple engineer who has led hardware engineering across iPad, AirPods, Mac, Apple Watch and iPhone lines, will take over as CEO.
Cook described his time at Apple in personal terms, saying he has spent the last 15 years starting each morning by reading emails 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 wrote he felt gratitude for leading “a company that ignites imaginations and enriches lives in such profound ways it defies description.”
Cook took the helm after cofounder Steve Jobs and built a reputation as a calm, operationally focused leader. He expanded and retooled Apple’s supply chains, pushed the company to design its own chips, and moved aggressively into services, launching subscription businesses including Apple News, Apple TV and Apple Pay. Under his leadership, Apple’s market value rose to around $4 trillion and the iPhone remained a dominant global smartphone product.
Cook was also notable for becoming the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company when he publicly came out in 2014, a moment widely seen as influential for LGBTQ representation in corporate leadership.
Analysts see Ternus’s promotion as a sign Apple is emphasizing 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.
Cook’s tenure included challenges: Apple has lagged in generative AI and earlier this year turned to Google’s AI to power features such as Siri. The company also became heavily reliant on China for manufacturing; while Apple is working to diversify, experts say reducing dependence will be a long-term effort. “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 comments from experts on Tim Cook’s role at Apple. April 20, 2026
