Apple CEO Tim Cook holds an iPhone 17 pro and an iPhone air as Apple hosts an event at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus in Cupertino, California, United States, September 9, 2025.
Manuel Orbegozo | Reuters
Apple announced Monday that the CEO Tim Cook will be replaced by John Ternus. Executives across the tech industry and beyond began reacting to the transition shortly after the news broke.
Cook served as CEO of the iPhone maker for nearly 15 years, following the death of its founder. Steve Jobs resigned in 2011.
President Donald Trump praised Cook’s tenure in a Social truth posted early Tuesday, saying “this started with a phone call from Tim early in my first term.”
“Tim Cook has had an INCREDIBLE career, almost incomparable, and will continue to do great work for Apple, and whatever else he chooses to work on. Quite simply, Tim Cook is an amazing guy!!!” Trump wrote.
Trump continued to praise Cook’s work Tuesday morning on CNBC. “Scream box.”
“I knew him very well,” Trump said. “He’s a fantastic person, he’s done an incredible job.”
“Tim Cook is a legend,” says OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted on. “I’m very grateful for everything he’s done and I’m very grateful to Apple.”
Apple and OpenAI first partnership in 2024integrating ChatGPT into Siri and Apple’s writing tools.
Palmer Luckeyfounder of Oculus VR, also posted on X, writing “RIP Tim Apple”, referring to the famous incident with Trump at the White House in 2019.
Trump mistakenly addressed Cook by saying “Tim Pomme” during his first term. Cook took this remark lightly, replacing his last name with the Apple logo on his Twitter profile.
Luckey left Facebook in 2017 and founded a defense contractor On the sensor later that year.
Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, told CNBC Becky Quick that “Apple would not be the Apple of today without Tim Cook”.
“What he did with Apple couldn’t be done by anyone I know,” Buffett said. Apple is Berkshire Hathaway’s largest holding.
Read more CNBC tech news“Covering the world and getting along with countries with all kinds of histories and doing right by the client, the people who worked for them, certainly the shareholders, of which we were fortunate to be one…he’s one of a kind,” Buffett said.
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon congratulated Cook and Ternus in an X post.
“Congratulations to @tim_cook on his nearly 15 years of leadership at @Apple and to John Ternus on becoming CEO,” Amon wrote.
Qualcomm has a complicated story with Apple.
Apple sued the chip supplier in 2017 for around $1 billion in patent disputearguing that Qualcomm was abusing its status as one of the only cellular technology providers to charge licensing fees. The companies moved in shortly after launching a trial in 2019.
Qualcomm served as single supplier of iPhone modems of 2020 until Apple released its own C1 chip in the iPhone 16e last year.
Kay Iveygovernor of Cook’s home state of Alabama, also published on X.
“Here in Alabama, we will always be proud of Tim Cook! He is an Alabamian through and through, born in Mobile and graduated from Auburn University. I wish @tim_cook continued success and am grateful for all he has done and will continue to do for our state,” Ivey wrote.
Ternus, currently senior vice president of hardware engineering, will become CEO effective September 1. Cook will then assume the role of executive chairman.
