Tim Cook stepped down as Apple chief executive on Monday, naming John Ternus as his successor. TechCrunch reported that Cook delivered the announcement in an internal memo sent to Apple staff on his final day in the role. Ternus previously served as the company’s senior vice president of hardware engineering.
Cook will remain at Apple as executive chairman, where he will continue managing political relationships, including ties with President Trump and the Chinese government. In his memo, Cook noted that he is “not leaving Apple” and praised his successor’s capabilities, writing that “few people understand what it takes to build products that change the world the way John does.”
Ternus previously led the hardware engineering group across Apple’s entire device lineup. During his leadership of that division, the company shipped products including the ultra-thin iPhone Air, the lower-cost MacBook Neo, and AirPods with hearing health features. Driven by demand for enterprise artificial intelligence hardware, Apple also introduced earlier release schedules for its Mac mini and Mac Studio computers this year.
Cook’s memo focused on gratitude and corporate culture rather than addressing upcoming challenges around artificial intelligence, services, regulation, or China. Cook cited Steve Jobs’ reference to leaving a “dent in the universe,” writing that the company’s workforce and shared values make that possible. Cook also published a statement on X confirming his title changes tomorrow while thanking the Apple community.
