Tim Cook has sent his final memo to Apple employees as CEO, marking the end of a 15-year run at the top of the company before John Ternus takes over on September 1.
Cook used the farewell message to thank Apple employees and reflect on the culture that shaped his time as CEO. Rather than focusing on financial milestones or individual products, he credited Apple’s workforce for the company’s achievements and described leading the company as a privilege.
The memo also delivers a strong endorsement of Ternus. Cook said he takes comfort in handing leadership to an executive who understands what it takes to build Apple products, signalling confidence in the company’s next generation of leadership.
Cook is stepping down as CEO but is not leaving Apple entirely, saying employees will continue to see him at Apple Park and elsewhere in his new role. That should give the company some continuity during a leadership transition that is considerably less abrupt than the one Cook faced when he succeeded Steve Jobs in 2011.
Ternus now inherits a very different Apple. Under Cook, the company expanded its services and wearables businesses, moved the Mac to Apple silicon and entered new categories such as spatial computing. But the next era brings its own challenges, particularly as artificial intelligence reshapes the technology industry and Apple looks for the next major platform beyond its mature hardware businesses.
Cook also posted a separate farewell to the wider Apple community, saying that while his title changes, his connection to the company will remain.
Here is Tim Cook’s final memo to Apple employees as CEO:
Team,
Today is my last day as CEO of Apple. This is a moment I always knew would come one day, and yet it is still hard to believe it has arrived and I am writing these words. I love this company and the team behind it, and I couldn’t let this day pass without sending a note to you, to tell you how grateful I am for the outpouring of affection you’ve sent my way, for the way you’ve shown up each and every day, and most of all, for the privilege of a lifetime serving as your leader.
The truth is, whatever there is to say about my success, I know it is all because of you. You have brought out the best in me. In all my life, I have never seen or been with such an extraordinary team of people before, and every day I get to see more examples of that.
There is something truly special about Apple. I am most proud of what an annual report could never capture. This place is proof that culture triumphs over everything. We share a belief that what we build matters, and that we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to leave the world better than we found it. That purpose is part of what makes this place extraordinary. Apple helps nurture it, but I believe it lived within each of you long before you arrived here. It is what brought you to this company and what continues to drive the work you do every day. Together, we have created something far greater than any one of us could have imagined or accomplished alone. And that’s the secret to our success. We bring out the best in each other. We lift each other up. We have made it possible to leave our “dent in the universe,” as Steve once described it, because of who we are and what we believe, because of what we value and how we see the world. How fortunate we are. How fortunate I am.
As you know, I am not leaving Apple. But I am stepping away from a role that I have loved deeply. I will miss this work in ways I can only begin to imagine, even as I remain completely at peace with my decision. I will miss leading you and being with you for every step, even as I take enormous comfort in handing the helm to someone as brilliant and wonderful and capable as John. Few people understand what it takes to build products that change the world the way John does and I could not be more excited for his leadership.
I hope you know how much I appreciate you and what an honor it has been to be your CEO. Most of all, I hope you will continue to be proud to be part of this remarkable place we call Apple and always give it your very best. When we bring our whole selves to this work, with care for one another and for the people we serve, there is no limit to the profound difference we can make.
I look forward to seeing you in my new role at Apple Park and around the world.
With all I have and all I am, I am always
Yours,
Tim
