Apple has revealed that Tim Cook will be stepping down from his position as CEO after 15 years of leadership. This announcement has sparked a variety of reactions within the tech community, including comments from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer.
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, is poised to exit his role later this year. The company stated that he will be succeeded by John Ternus, who is a senior vice president of hardware engineering at the tech giant located in Cupertino.
Cook has guided Apple for close to 15 years, taking over from co-founder Steve Jobs in 2011. Throughout his tenure, he has significantly contributed to the company’s expansion. Apple’s market capitalization soared from $350 billion in 2011 to over $4 trillion today, solidifying its position as one of the most valuable corporations globally.
Tim Cook will not entirely part ways with Apple. He will move into the role of executive chairman on September 1, 2026. Nonetheless, the announcement has prompted varied responses across the tech landscape as a chapter closes.
Responses to Tim Cook’s resignation as Apple CEO
Tech leaders have shared their thoughts on this announcement. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed his appreciation for Cook’s impact on X, stating, “Tim Cook is a legend. I am immensely grateful for all he has accomplished and I deeply value Apple.”
Oculus founder Palmer Luckey had a different take, commenting, “RIP Tim Apple,” alluding to a moment in 2019 when then-President Donald Trump mistakenly referred to Tim Cook as “Tim Apple.” Luckey sold Oculus to Facebook for $2 billion at just 21 years old.
Peter Oppenheimer, who served as Apple’s CFO from 2004 to 2014, remarked to the New York Times, “He stepped into the largest shoes in the world — the most significant shoes anyone has ever had to fill — and he’s performed extraordinarily well.” Oppenheimer is among the few Apple executives who worked under both Steve Jobs and Tim Cook in Cupertino.
Dipanjan Chatterjee, a principal analyst at Forrester research firm, acknowledged that Cook effectively succeeded Steve Jobs. He stated, as reported by the Guardian, “Steve Jobs was never going to be a simple act to follow. Nevertheless, Tim Cook took Jobs’ legacy and evolved Apple into a sturdy, resilient financial titan with remarkable market-cap growth.”
Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives indicated that Cook’s departure was unexpected. He posted on X, “Apple is undergoing a significant shift in its AI strategy, and longtime CEO and iconic Cook departing now is surprising.” Ives continued, “We support Ternus as the choice.”
John Ternus is well-regarded for his nearly 25 years at Apple. He is also credited with leading Apple’s transition to its in-house M-series chipsets for MacBooks, moving away from reliance on Intel processors. According to Bloomberg, Ternus supervises product development that accounts for 80 percent of Apple’s revenue.
