Apple co-founder Tim Cook is stepping down as CEO, with hardware chief John Ternus set to succeed him. Cook’s 15-year tenure saw Apple’s stock surge nearly 2,000%, driven by iPhone dominance and services growth. Ternus, a 25-year veteran, oversaw pivotal shifts like transitioning Macs to Apple-designed chips, boosting performance and efficiency.

His leadership now faces pressure to innovate in AI, where Apple lags rivals despite licensing Google’s Gemini for Siri upgrades. Critics question his risk appetite, citing a lack of transformative product decisions during his career.