Chief executive of Apple from 2011 to September 2026, when he will become executive chairman. He took over from Steve Jobs.
Cook was the architect of Apple's heavy presence in China, building the supply chain that made the iPhone a global product. Under his leadership he put an iPhone in 1.5bn pockets, making the Apple logo ubiquitous from San Francisco to Seoul. Apple's market value grew 11-fold on his watch. Counting everything including dividends, he delivered some $4.6trn to Apple's shareholders—over $850m for every day of his tenure.
Cook did not oversee the launch of any product as transformative as the iPhone. AirPods are popular and Apple sells more watches than Switzerland, but these are smartphone accessories. The ambitious idea of an Apple car was quietly scrapped. The Vision Pro, a virtual-reality headset with a $3,500 price tag, has not made a lasting impression. But by continuously improving the iPhone, expanding the range of phones and selling them in more places, Cook built an empire.
His twin economic wager was on global supply chains and China, reflecting the extent of globalisation. By the 2010s most goods-trade barriers had gone. China went from 10% of the global economy in 2011 to 17%, from technological supplicant to a frequent leader, and from four Apple stores to 50.
On April 20th 2026 Apple named John Ternus, its hardware chief, as Cook's successor. Cook, 65, will become executive chairman.
The best defense against logic is ignorance.