Apple hosted a farewell party for Tim Cook a week before Ternus assumes leadership.

      Apple hosted a farewell party for Tim Cook on Sunday, one week before he steps down as its CEO. Approximately 200 attendees, mostly Apple employees, gathered at the Caffè Macs cafeteria on the Cupertino campus, where OneRepublic performed. The evening was reported by Aaron Tilley for The Information, citing an attendee.

      The timing of the event conveyed its own significance, as Cook celebrated 15 years as CEO the following day and will pass on the role to John Ternus on September 1.

      Notable speakers included Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, and Jeff Williams, the chief operating officer who worked closely with Cook and retired in 2025. Eddy Cue, head of Apple’s services and health sector, and Ternus, who currently oversees hardware engineering, also spoke. Notably absent from the guest list were any external industry figures, as all reported speakers were current or former Apple executives or family members.

      Cook has largely maintained privacy regarding his personal life throughout his career, but during the event, he mentioned a partner by name, Mike. This was highlighted by The Information, noting Cook’s unusual level of personal openness in front of about 200 colleagues, contrasting with his past discretion over the years. Further details about his partner remain unreported, and Apple has not provided any comment.

      This isn’t a new revelation about Cook; he publicly came out in 2014 and has shared little about his private life since then. What changed on Sunday was the context of discussing his personal life among colleagues as he transitions out of his role.

      However, he is not entirely leaving the company. Starting September 1, Cook will take on the position of executive chairman, where he will continue to assist in specific areas, including interacting with policymakers worldwide. While typically seen as ceremonial, this role comes with tangible responsibilities, particularly concerning regulatory matters.

      The importance of this regulatory focus is particularly pronounced in Europe compared to Cupertino. Cook met with the EU tech chief in Brussels in July, and while those discussions were deemed constructive, Apple’s Siri AI capabilities remain restricted in Europe due to the Digital Markets Act. Keeping Cook involved with regulators ensures that Ternus won’t have to start from scratch learning the ins and outs of Brussels, while also allowing the executive who negotiated the current circumstances to defend them.

      Apple faces significant regulatory scrutiny in Europe, more so than in any other region, and the person managing those challenges will remain the same on September 1.

      Ternus, who joined Apple in 2001 and has headed hardware engineering since 2021, steps into his new role from an engineering background, contrasting with Cook’s history in operations. His first major engagement as CEO will be the September iPhone event, which is just weeks away, where he will present a phone developed under Cook’s leadership.

      Ternus has outlined his focus areas, intending to continue the film initiatives and to rebuild a design studio that lost its Ive-era designers.

      Insiders have indicated that the goal of this transition is continuity, expecting minimal changes. A clear indication of this is that Cook's executive assistant will remain with Ternus. While it may seem minor, the assistant's role is crucial in managing schedules, access, and institutional knowledge, highlighting a decision about the office’s functioning rather than a courtesy.

      The immediate challenge for Ternus is component costs. Cook indicated in June that due to a shortage of memory chips, Apple would increase prices; the recent Mac refresh also came with higher starting prices than previous models. This refresh is likely to be Cook's final product launch as CEO.

      Morgan Chittum from CNBC discussed the succession, identifying three pressing challenges for Cook’s successor, emphasizing how significant the expectations are.

      Cook took the helm in August 2011, and at the party, he was credited with transforming Apple into a multi-trillion-dollar corporation, managing supply chains and geopolitical issues while overseeing various successful products, including the Apple Watch, AirPods, and the Apple Silicon chip program that reduced reliance on Intel processors. However, one gap in this record is in artificial intelligence, particularly concerning Siri features that remain unavailable in Europe.

      While the title of executive chairman is substantive, Cook will retain it, maintaining crucial mandates and relationships with governments that Apple needs. What he relinquishes is the direct accountability for the company’s overall activities, a responsibility that will transition to Ternus from next Tuesday.

      The first test for Ternus will be the iPhone event, followed by more challenging tasks, such as addressing why Apple’s AI features function in the United States but not in Europe, an argument previously made by Cook.