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Wednesday 02 Sep 2026
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John Ternus has taken over as Apple's chief executive, inheriting a company that towers over the smartphone market. (Photo/AP)
John Ternus has taken over as Apple's chief executive, inheriting a company that towers over the smartphone market but trails its rivals in artificial intelligence.
The handover ends Tim Cook's 15-year run, replacing the operations specialist who built Apple's supply chain with the engineer who led its hardware development.
Ternus, 51, joined Apple's design team in 2001 and rose to senior vice president of hardware engineering, overseeing teams behind the entire product lineup.
Cook praised his successor in a staff memo on Monday, writing: "Few people understand what it takes to build products that change the world the way John does."
Ternus faces an immediate debut on September 9, at Apple's annual launch event, where the company is widely expected to reveal its first foldable iPhone.
According to a Tuesday securities filing, Ternus' base salary is set at $3 million—matching Cook's executive base—with stock options potentially pushing total first-year compensation to $58 million.
Cook's salary will decrease to $2 million, with compensation valued up to $47 million as he assumes the role of executive board chairman.
Geopolitical hurdles
Ternus inherits intricate geopolitical challenges.
Cook spent years cultivating ties with Beijing and Washington, DC, to safeguard a manufacturing network largely anchored in China.
While Apple initiated diversification into India and Vietnam, China remains central to production.
US President Trump has repeatedly demanded domestic iPhone manufacturing.
Cook will retain an active geopolitical mandate as executive chairman, engaging policymakers worldwide.
"He knows Apple Park like the back of his pocket in terms of hardware," Ives noted of Ternus.
"But on the global stage — that's probably one of the biggest areas where he's going to have to learn on the job."
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Source: TRT
