- Tim Cook makes first public comments after CEO transition announcement
- It doesn’t disappear
- Cook wants you to know John Ternus like him
Has it only been 24 hours since Apple announced that Apple CEO Tim Cook would step down in September and John Ternus would take over as CEO? Barely, but with so much time to digest, Cook finally talks about change, about Ternus, and what it means for the future.
Cook, who is expected to become executive chairman in September, made his first public comment Tuesday afternoon on X post. In it, he thanked everyone for the “outpouring of love” and trust in him. However, the most important part might be this sentence: “This is not goodbye. »
I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of your love and thank you for believing in me to lead the company that has always put you at the center of our work. It’s not goodbye. This is hello to John and I can’t wait for you to get to know him like I do! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Q43QDG3UmZApril 21, 2026
Cook isn’t completely breaking away from Apple, a company he’s long said he can’t imagine his life without. Instead, he is now making it clear that he plans to stay.
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This meeting also answers the question “why now”. Gurman reported that Cook said that for him to make the change, the business had to be “great,” the track record “amazing” and Ternus “ready.”
Apparently all this is true today. For Apple fans, the incredible track record is worth applauding. After all, that could include foldable phones, AR glasses, and more innovation (play more Apple Studios movies on par with F1).
In Cook’s message, he said it wasn’t a goodbye, but a “hello to John.” [Ternus]”.
Simply put, Cook is ready to be the Jiminy Cricket of Ternus, on hand with wise advice but without standing out.
No one knows how long Cook will remain executive chairman, and some are worried about Disney’s Bob Iger situation. Iger resigned as CEO to become executive chairman, then, when his replacement failed, he was quickly brought back as CEO.
Cook, however, clarified during his speech that there can only be “one CEO at a time.” He doesn’t, it seems, intend to get in the way or come back, but, as he noted in his X post, Cook can’t wait for you to get to know John Ternus like he does.
Cook is unlikely to address the topic again before WWDC 2026 in June, and even then it’s unlikely he’ll want to distract from the company’s big platform announcements. Still, how Cook and Ternus act at this developer event – who appears and carries the show – will speak volumes.
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