After nearly 15 years at the helm, Tim Cook is stepping down as CEO of Apple, a company he has helped propel to a staggering $4 trillion valuation. But who will take the reins? John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. The man behind the company’s most iconic products: the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. He will be stepping up as Apple’s next chief executive officer, effective on 1 September 2026.
Who is John Ternus?
John Ternus is currently the senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He joined Apple in 2001, rose to vice president in 2013, and became senior vice president in 2021. Before that, he worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems.John Ternus has been the cornerstone of Apple’s hardware innovation for nearly two decades. He has overseen hardware engineering for groundbreaking products across every category. He was especially instrumental in developing several products, such as the iPad and AirPods, as well as many generations of the iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch. His work at the company has been crucial to the global popularity of the Mac, which also led to the development of the recent MacBook Neo. Ternus also oversaw the recent line of iPhones for the company. He has always focused on product reliability and durability.While Cook will continue in his role through the summer and work closely with Ternus for a smooth transition, he said: “John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honour. He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future. I could not be more confident in his abilities and his character, and I look forward to working closely with him on this transition and in my new role as executive chairman.”Ternus has spent most of his career at Apple, working under Steve Jobs, while Tim Cook has been his mentor.
John Ternus’ net worth
John Ternus’ estimated net worth is approximately $75 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The wealth primarily comes from his salary, bonuses, and stock compensation, which he accumulated over more than two decades at the company. When he steps up as CEO this September, Ternus will take home a compensation structure comparable to Cook’s, which was $74.6 million in total remuneration last year alone. This includes a $3 million base salary and stock awards.