
Tim Cook’s Apple era ends as John Ternus takes the helm
On Aug. 31, 2026, Tim Cook closes a 15-year era as Apple’s CEO, posting a heartfelt farewell on X; effective Sept. 1 he becomes executive chairman, with John Ternus, the current Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, taking over as CEO. Cook oversaw major launches like AirPods and the Apple Watch, led the shift to Apple Silicon, and presided over Apple’s rise to a trillion-dollar valuation, while Ternus’ first big moment will be Sept. 9, when Apple is expected to unveil the next iPhone lineup, including its first foldable device.


