Tim Cook's Successor: Can Ternus Keep Apple's Momentum?

0:00It's April 27th. This is Durham News Today, your AI-powered local news. Tim Cook, Apple's 65-year-old CEO, is stepping down on September 1st, 2026. He'll hand the reins to John Turnis, the 50-year-old senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, and a 25-year company vet. Cook's been in charge since 2011, right after Steve Jobs, making his run over 15 years. After Cook, Apple stock exploded almost 2,000 percent to over $273 post, split by late April 2026. That smoked the S&P 500's 503 percent gain over the same stretch, turning early investors into major winners. Cook built on Jobs' legacy, but Jobs' era from 1997 to 2011 was wilder stock up 11,000 percent from a near bankrupt. Jobs revived the company with hits like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, growing market cap from $2 billion to $350 billion.

1:01Other CEOs pale in comparison. Pre-Jobs leaders saw drops or modest gains, like Gill Emilio's 52 percent plunge or John Scully's 105 percent rise. Cook and Jobs together delivered a 2,277-fold stock boost over nearly three decades. Ernest steps into massive shoes, but with Apple's hardware muscle behind him, eyes are on whether he can keep the momentum rolling strong.