Ternus Takes Over: Can New Apple CEO Deliver Another 22x Return?
John Ternus is set to take over as Apple's CEO on September 1, 2026, following Tim Cook's departure. As the Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, Ternus has been with Apple since 2001 and has played a crucial role in the company's growth under Steve Jobs and Tim Cook.
Ternus' product-first background is expected to serve Apple well as it begins to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) features into its products and software. The upcoming overhaul of Siri is a prime example, with Ternus committed to shipping only the best possible products and services.
Under Tim Cook's leadership, Apple's revenue grew from $108 billion in fiscal 2011 to over $466 billion on a trailing-12-month basis. Its market cap increased from $338 billion to $4.5 trillion, making it one of the world's most valuable companies.
Ternus has already shown his capabilities as iPhone 17 lineup sales have been a major hit, with revenue up 22% year over year through the first three quarters of fiscal 2026.