Apple Newsroom:

Apple announced that Tim Cook will become executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors and John Ternus, senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, will become Apple’s next chief executive officer effective on September 1, 2026. The transition, which was approved unanimously by the Board of Directors, follows a thoughtful, long-term succession planning process.

We all knew this was coming and it’s about time. Tim Cook was never a product guy, and that seemed okay for a while because he knew that wasn’t his strength and so he didn’t interfere too much. But over time, he’s showed that he cares more about chasing profits than making great products. Granted, that sounds like every public company under capitalism. But this is Apple. Historically they’ve been most successful when they focus on making things that people enjoy.

John Ternus is a product guy. He’s been in charge of hardware and Apple’s hardware is fantastic right now. Elevating him to CEO is an excellent decision and hopefully he can return the focus to products over profits. Make great stuff, put the users first, and the money will follow. In the words of Socrates, “Virtue does not come from money, but rather from virtue comes money, and all other things good to man.”