It's official. As of September 1st, John Ternus has taken the reins of Apple as its new CEO, succeeding Tim Cook, who led the world's most valuable company for fifteen years. Ternus, 51, is no newcomer: he has been with the company for a quarter of a century and has been responsible for hardware engineering, a key element in the brand's greatest successes of the last decade. This change, announced in April, represents a generational and strategic shift for the tech giant.
On the same day he took office, Apple filed details of its two top executives' compensation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission . The figures, as expected, are astronomical and have generated considerable discussion. But beyond the zeros, this move reflects the board's confidence in a more technically minded profile to steer the ship, while Cook remains on board as executive chairman of the board with a new ambassadorial role.
A historic relay with figures in the millions
According to the document filed, John Ternus will receive a base salary of $3 million annually , plus a stock allocation with a target value of $55 million for fiscal year 2027. In total, his compensation package is around $58 million. Of that amount, 75% is contingent on Apple's performance relative to the S&P 500, while the remaining 25% is awarded in units that accrue semi-annually over four years. Additionally, to cover the portion of fiscal year 2026 in which he already serves as CEO, he has been granted a prorated stock award of approximately $2,5 million.
Tim Cook , meanwhile, will receive an annual salary of $2 million and a $45 million stock option by 2027, totaling $47 million. His compensation is less tied to stock market performance: only half depends on the S&P 500, with the remainder awarded gradually. In 2025, his total compensation as CEO was $74,3 million, a figure that included security expenses, retirement plans, and vacation time. Now, with a role focused on corporate diplomacy, his experience will be key to managing relations with the Trump administration and with China.
Ternus' challenges: AI, supplies, and geopolitics
The new CEO faces several challenges. The most urgent is closing the gap in artificial intelligence . Apple has been criticized for being late to the advanced chatbot party, with its new AI-powered Siri and its subsequent delays , adopting a more cautious strategy than Google or Microsoft. Ternus, who has championed a user experience-centric vision, will have to demonstrate that Apple Intelligence can deliver. Furthermore, the shortage of memory and storage components, driven by the rise of AI, is fueling costs and has already forced the company to raise prices.
Another front is geopolitics. Apple relies heavily on its Chinese supply chain , although it has begun diversifying into India and Vietnam. Tim Cook will remain involved in this area in his new role, which some analysts see as a smart move to allow Ternus to focus on the product. Pressure from the White House to move production to the United States is also part of the picture, and Cook has been the one who has successfully navigated that interference.
Cook's legacy and the immediate future
When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs in 2011, Apple was valued at around $350.000 billion and had a revenue of $108.000 billion. Fifteen years later, its market capitalization exceeds $4 trillion and revenue has reached $416.000 billion . This spectacular growth is the legacy that Ternus will try to maintain. But there are also downsides: there hasn't been a truly disruptive product category since the Apple Watch or AirPods, and the foray into mixed reality with the Vision Pro and its recent hardware tweaks hasn't taken off as expected.
Furthermore, the executive leadership has suffered numerous departures in recent years , and Ternus will have to reorganize the team. His first public test will be on September 9th, at Apple's annual fall event. He is expected to unveil Apple's first foldable iPhone , a novelty already explored by the competition, and a new Siri with more advanced AI capabilities. As is often the case, all eyes will be on him, and expectations are high.
With a detail-obsessed engineer at the helm and a veteran operations expert supporting him, Apple is embarking on a new chapter that could define the next decade. The coming months will be crucial in determining whether Ternus lives up to the hype. For now, his salary figures have already generated buzz, and there's more to come.
