Tim Cook

Cook is known for maintaining a private personal life outside of corporate responsibilities. A fitness enthusiast who regularly participates in cycling, hiking, and gym workouts, he has resided in Palo Alto, California. In 1996, he was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an event that influenced his outlook on life and led him to participate in charitable cycling events to fund disease research. He later noted that the physical symptoms had stemmed from carrying heavy luggage while traveling for work.

In October 2014, Cook published an essay in Bloomberg Businessweek publicly identifying as gay, making him the first chief executive officer of a Fortune 500 company to come out publicly. He consulted journalist Anderson Cooper while preparing the announcement and stated that his decision was motivated by a desire to support young LGBTQ individuals facing discrimination, homelessness, or personal challenges. Cook had previously participated with Apple employees in San Francisco Pride events and has spoken publicly in support of federal workplace protections and civil rights legislation.

In March 2015, Cook announced his intention to donate the majority of his wealth to charitable causes throughout his lifetime. In addition to his corporate duties, he was named to Duke University's board of trustees in 2015 and delivered the university's commencement address in 2018.

Timothy Donald Cook was born on November 1, 1960, in Mobile, Alabama, and was raised in nearby Robertsdale. He is the second of three sons born to Donald Cook, a shipyard worker, and Geraldine Cook, a pharmacy employee. Cook attended Robertsdale High School, where he played in the marching band and graduated as salutatorian in 1978.

Cook earned a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Auburn University in 1982. Following graduation, he began a twelve-year career with IBM's personal computer division, eventually rising to become the director of North American fulfillment. While working at IBM, he attended evening classes at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, graduating with a Master of Business Administration in 1988 as a designated Fuqua Scholar.

In 1994, Cook joined computer retailer Intelligent Electronics as chief operating officer of its reseller division. He moved to Compaq Computer Corporation in 1997 as vice president of corporate materials, managing procurement and inventory systems for the computer manufacturer.

In early 1998, Steve Jobs recruited Cook to join Apple, which was attempting a corporate turnaround following years of declining revenue. Despite advice from colleagues to remain at Compaq, Cook decided to join Apple as senior vice president for worldwide operations after his initial interview with Jobs.

Upon arrival, Cook overhauled Apple's manufacturing and distribution infrastructure. He closed company-owned factories and warehouses, shifting production to contract manufacturing partners and reducing inventory turnaround times from months to mere days. Cook also negotiated strategic long-term component supply agreements, including substantial early investments in flash memory that secured stable supply chains for future hardware lines like the iPod Nano, iPhone, and iPad.

Cook was promoted to executive vice president of worldwide operations and sales in 2002 and took charge of the Macintosh hardware division in 2004, overseeing the transition from PowerPC to Intel processors. In October 2005, he was named Apple's chief operating officer. During periods when Jobs took medical leaves of absence in 2004, 2009, and 2011, Cook served as interim chief executive, managing day-to-day corporate operations while Jobs handled major strategic decisions. In 2009, Cook offered to donate a portion of his liver to Jobs after discovering they shared a rare blood type, an offer Jobs declined.

Cook was appointed chief executive officer of Apple on August 24, 2011, following Jobs's resignation. In late 2012, he restructured Apple's executive leadership to foster greater cross-departmental collaboration, parting ways with iOS software head Scott Forstall and retail chief John Browett while expanding the responsibilities of Jony Ive, Craig Federighi, Eddy Cue, and Bob Mansfield.

Under Cook's leadership, Apple diversified its hardware and services portfolio. The company introduced major new product lines, including the Apple Watch in 2015, AirPods in 2016, and the Apple Vision Pro spatial computing headset in 2024. Cook also prioritized Apple's digital services ecosystem, expanding platforms such as Apple Music, iCloud, and Apple TV+, while directing the multi-year transition of Mac computers to proprietary Apple Silicon processors beginning in 2020. During his tenure, Apple became the first publicly traded U.S. company to reach market capitalizations of one trillion, two trillion, and three trillion dollars.

In April 2026, Apple announced that Cook would step down as chief executive officer on September 1, 2026, transitioning to the role of executive chairman of the board. John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, was named as his successor.

Beyond his responsibilities at Apple, Cook has served on the board of directors of Nike, Inc. since 2005. He has also served as a board member for the National Football Foundation and held a three-year chairmanship of the advisory board for Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management in Beijing.

Cook has frequently engaged in public policy discussions regarding consumer privacy, environmental sustainability, and cybersecurity. Under his direction, Apple hired former Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson in 2013 to direct its renewable energy and environmental initiatives. In 2016, Cook took a prominent public stance defending user privacy when Apple contested a federal court order requesting specialized software to bypass security measures on an encrypted iPhone.

During federal policy initiatives, Cook served on the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board during the presidential administration of Donald Trump. Cook also oversaw major domestic manufacturing investment commitments, while navigating international trade relations and regulatory compliance across global markets.