"We were able to make a dent in the universe": Apple CEO Cook bids farewell to employees
Apple's stock has risen 1,000% during Cook's tenure as CEO
As chairman of Apple's board of directors, Tim Cook will continue to have influence over strategic matters / Photo: Wulandari Wulandari / Shutterstock.com
Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed employees in a letter on his last day in the role, Bloomberg reported. The news agency published the full text of the letter.
The top executive said he will miss his role as CEO but feels “enormous peace of mind” about the company under the leadership of his successor, John Turnus. According to Cook, “few people understand what it takes to create products that change the world the way John does.” “And I’m more excited than ever about his leadership,” Cook writes.
“As you know, I’m not leaving Apple. But I’m stepping away from a role that I’ve deeply loved,” Cook wrote. “I don’t yet fully realize how much I’ll miss this job, but at the same time, I’m completely at peace with my decision.”
In his new role as executive chairman of the board of directors, Cook will not be involved in the day-to-day management of Apple, but will retain influence over strategic matters and the company's relations with governments, including those of the U.S. and China, Bloomberg noted.
“We’ve been able to leave our ‘dent in the universe,’ as Steve [Jobs] once said, thanks to who we are and what we believe in, thanks to what we value and how we view the world,” Cook wrote. “What I’m most proud of is something that no annual report will ever be able to capture. This place proves that culture trumps everything. We share the belief that what we create matters, and that we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to leave the world better than we found it.”
"I look forward to meeting all of you in my new role—at Apple Park and around the world," Cook added.
Apple shares fell about 1.4% during trading on August 31, to $315. Since the beginning of 2026, they have risen 16%.
Context
Tim Cook took over as Apple's CEO after Steve Jobs in August 2011: This marked the beginning of his 15-year tenure at the helm of the company, during which Apple released new devices such as the Apple Watch and AirPods, and significantly expanded its iPhone, iPad, and Mac product lines.
During Cook's tenure as Apple's CEO, the company's market capitalization rose from $350 billion to more than $4 trillion—a 1,000 percent increase, according to Yahoo Finance
Ternus will assume the position of CEO on September 1. He will likely host the annual fall presentation of the new iPhones, which is scheduled for September 9. Before taking the helm of the company, Ternus served as senior vice president of hardware engineering. At 51, he is the youngest member of Apple’s senior leadership team.
This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor
