Apple has a new CEO.
After 15 years, Tim Cook is no longer at the top of the massive tech company, replaced by the new CEO, John Ternus.
Cook posted to X on Monday, “My title changes tomorrow, but the love for the Apple community never will.”
Sending lots of love to the Apple community on my last day as CEO. My title changes tomorrow, but the love I have for the Apple community never will. Thank you for being a constant source of inspiration. My gratitude is endless, and I’m excited for the next chapter!
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) August 31, 2026
He also sent a message to Apple employees, telling them, “I will miss this work in ways I can only begin to imagine, even as I remain completely at peace with my decision,” Bloomberg reported.
NEW: Tim Cook sends a final memo to Apple employees on his last day as CEO. “I will miss this work in ways I can only begin to imagine, even as I remain completely at peace with my decision,” he says, adding he has “enormous comfort” with Ternus in charge. https://t.co/i0FF0JZjZA pic.twitter.com/cIVT3viXYH
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) August 31, 2026
Cook will remain at the company as the executive chair of Apple, The New York Times reported. He “will assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world.”
The Associated Press noted that the change in leadership comes as the tech industry evolves thanks to artificial intelligence. The AP called AI “the greatest upheaval within the industry since Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in 2007.″
Apple, for its part, has upgraded its AI assistant, Siri, and is focusing on privacy and day-to-day use since It has slipped behind competitors in the AI push.
“Apple is going to have to face this idea of ‘What’s next?’” consumer technology analyst and former Apple product marketer Michael Gartenberg told the Times. Ternus has to “bring Apple back to being a cool brand even though it’s a multitrillion-dollar company, show that you are able to innovate.”
Ternus has vast experience with hardware engineering, climbing through the ranks from Apple’s product design team (2001) to vice president of Hardware Engineering (2013) and senior vice president of Hardware Engineering (2021), and working on the introduction of iPads and AirPods, plus generations of iPhones, Mac and Apple Watches, the company said in his official biography. Among his first public duties is launching the next iPhone next week at Apple headquarters.
As the new CEO, the AP said Ternus will now have to “step outside his comfort zone” and “navigate supply chain questions and relationships with figures such as President Donald Trump,” especially in light of the administration’s trade and tariff orders.
© 2026 Cox Media Group
