After 15 years at the helm of Apple, Tim Cook is stepping aside as CEO and handing leadership of the tech giant to longtime hardware chief John Ternus. Cook leaves behind a company that is vastly larger and more profitable than the one he inherited from Steve Jobs in 2011, having transformed Apple from a $350 billion business into a company worth more than $4.5 trillion. He will remain involved as executive chairman, helping steer the company through regulatory and geopolitical challenges, particularly those involving the United States and China.
Cook’s legacy is defined less by breakthrough products and more by operational excellence. Under his leadership, Apple’s annual revenue grew from $108 billion to $416 billion, while profits climbed to $112 billion. He also expanded Apple’s ecosystem beyond the iPhone, turning services, Apple Watch and AirPods into major revenue drivers and deepening customer loyalty worldwide.