Tim Cook will step down as Apple CEO on September 1, 2026, and will head the board of directors. Apple veteran John Ternus has been appointed as the new head of the company, Apple officially announced.
Tim Cook's departure from the position of Apple CEO marks the end of a distinct era in the company's history, which under his leadership transformed from a legendary tech manufacturer into a global financial and technological superpower.
For many, Cook will forever remain the person who was given an almost impossible task – to lead Apple after Steve Jobs. And not just to keep it afloat, but to prove that the company is capable of living, growing, and winning without its legendary founder, reports UNN.
From a working-class town to the top of Apple
Tim Cook was born in 1960 in the small town of Robertsdale, Alabama. His father worked in a shipyard, his mother in a pharmacy. It was an ordinary American family with no access to great wealth or connections.
He earned a degree in industrial engineering from Auburn University and later an MBA from Duke University. Unlike many charismatic Silicon Valley executives, Cook was not a programmer-inventor or a startup founder. He was a man of systems, numbers, processes, and discipline.
Before Apple, Cook worked at IBM for 12 years, where he built a career in logistics and operations management. Later, he held executive positions at Intelligent Electronics and Compaq. It was from Compaq that Steve Jobs lured him in 1998.
Why Jobs chose him
When Cook joined Apple, the company was not yet a giant. It was just beginning to recover after years of crisis. Jobs was looking for someone who could bring order to manufacturing and supply.
Cook quickly became indispensable. He closed inefficient warehouses, rebuilt the global supply chain, cut costs, and made Apple a machine of precision.
It was thanks to him that the company learned to produce millions of devices at the right time and in the right volume. If Jobs created desire, Cook provided the opportunity to buy that desire.
The heaviest legacy in the business world
In August 2011, when Steve Jobs' health rapidly deteriorated, he handed over the company's reins to Tim Cook. A few weeks later, Jobs died.
At that moment, it seemed that Apple had lost its soul. Many analysts predicted a gradual decline. The world was convinced – there was no second Jobs.
And that was true. But Cook didn't try to be him. He led differently – without theatricality, without a cult of personality, without shouting at presentations; his style was cold, rational, and calm.
Apple under Cook – money, scale, and stability
It was under Cook that Apple became the first company in history to reach a market capitalization of $1 trillion, then $2 trillion, and later $3 trillion. iPhone sales continued to break records, but Cook understood that living solely on the smartphone forever was not possible. So he began to build a new Apple.
Products initially underestimated
Many said that under Cook, Apple stopped inventing new things. But it was under him that products were released that later became extremely successful.
Apple Watch
Initially, the watch was ridiculed. But it later became the most popular watch in the world – not just among "smart" ones, but among all watches.
AirPods
Another product that was joked about after its presentation. But the headphones became a cultural phenomenon and set the standard for the market.
Apple Silicon
One of Cook's most important strategic moves was the abandonment of Intel processors and the transition of Mac computers to their own chips.
This decision proved that Apple is capable of controlling not only the device's design but also the entire technological architecture. The new generation MacBook became faster, quieter, and more autonomous.
A person of privacy and strict discipline
Cook made Apple the voice of user privacy protection. The company clashed with governments over data access, promoted encryption, and restricted tracking by advertising platforms.
He also actively promoted an environmental course: transitioning to renewable energy, recycled materials, and reducing emissions.
The main complaint against him
Despite financial success, some Apple fans repeated one thought for years – "It was more interesting under Jobs." The company was accused of a lack of revolutionary breakthroughs. Every year, better iPhones, stronger Macs, new services were released – but there wasn't the same shock that the iPhone or iPad once delivered.
And this is perhaps fair. But one must admit something else – after a revolution, what is often needed is not a dreamer, but an empire builder. And that's exactly what Cook was.
What he leaves behind
Tim Cook leaves Apple as one of the strongest companies in the world: with huge cash reserves, a billion-strong user base, one of the most powerful service ecosystems, and an influence on the market, culture, and politics.
Cook will go down in history as the man who proved that Apple can not only surprise the world but also dominate it for decades.
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