---
title: "Tim Cook steps down as Apple CEO; John Ternus takes over"
description: "From September 1, hardware engineering chief John Ternus becomes Apple's CEO and Tim Cook becomes executive chairman."
url: https://kurddevelopers.com/en/news/tim-cook-steps-down-john-ternus-apple-ceo
language: en # English
type: news
published: 2026-04-20T20:42:00.000Z
updated: 2026-11-02T03:10:51.000Z
author: "Osamah Ismail"
author_url: https://kurddevelopers.com/en/author/1
section: "Mobile"
tags: ["Apple","Tim Cook","John Ternus","CEO"]
sources: ["Apple Newsroom","TechCrunch"]
image: https://kurddevelopers.com/uploads/2026/11/apple-john-ternus-tim-cook-lp-jpg-og-e9f4be4e.jpg
translations:
  ku: https://kurddevelopers.com/news/tim-cook-steps-down-john-ternus-apple-ceo
  ar: https://kurddevelopers.com/ar/news/tim-cook-steps-down-john-ternus-apple-ceo
publisher: Kurd Developers
publisher_url: https://kurddevelopers.com/
---

# Tim Cook steps down as Apple CEO; John Ternus takes over

> From September 1, hardware engineering chief John Ternus becomes Apple's CEO and Tim Cook becomes executive chairman.

![Tim Cook and John Ternus at Apple Park. Image: Apple](https://kurddevelopers.com/uploads/2026/11/apple-john-ternus-tim-cook-lp-jpg-og-e9f4be4e.jpg)

## What happened
Apple announced that **Tim Cook** will become **executive chairman**, and **John Ternus**, senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, will become **CEO** effective **September 1, 2026**.

- Ternus will also join the board.
- Arthur Levinson becomes lead independent director.

## Apple under Cook
Cook has been CEO since 2011.

| | 2011 | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Market value | ~$350 billion | ~$4 trillion |
| Annual revenue | $108 billion | over $416 billion (FY2025) |

Services also grew into a business of more than $100 billion.

## What Cook said
"John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor."

**Sources:** Apple Newsroom, TechCrunch

---

Published by [Kurd Developers](https://kurddevelopers.com/) on 2026-04-20. Cite as: “Tim Cook steps down as Apple CEO; John Ternus takes over”, Kurd Developers, https://kurddevelopers.com/en/news/tim-cook-steps-down-john-ternus-apple-ceo