Tim Cook Steps Down as Apple CEO, John Ternus Takes Over

Tim Cook has stepped down as chief executive officer of Apple, concluding a tenure that began in 2011. The transition, which was announced earlier this year, took effect on September 1, 2026, with John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, assuming the role of CEO. Cook, who joined Apple in 1998, will remain with the company as executive chairman. In a memo to employees shared on his final day as CEO, Cook expressed gratitude and reflected on his time leading the technology giant. He wrote, "This is a moment I always knew would come one day, and yet it is still hard to believe it has arrived.