Tim Cook
Photo: Tessa Bury, CC BY 4.0
Born1960-11-01
Occupationbusinessperson, chief executive officer, computer scientist, engineer
EmployerApple Inc., IBM
Positionchief executive officer
EducationAuburn University, Duke University, Fuqua School of Business, Robertsdale High School
AwardsFinancial Times Person of the Year, Time 100, member of the Alabama Academy of Honor
Highlights
“John is a brilliant engineer, a deep thinker, a person of remarkable character and a born leader.”
“I just celebrated my 28th anniversary of being here at Apple, 15 years as CEO.”
“We're about making the best products in the world that really enrich other people's lives.”
“Apple TV has also earned its place among the most decorated names in entertainment with more than 800 wins and more than 3,400 nominations in the 6 years since launch.”
“Twenty-eight years ago, I walked into Apple and I've loved every day of it since,”
“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company,”
“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple,”
“I'm not worried about artificial intelligence giving computers the ability to think like humans.”
“Whatever you do in your life and whatever we do at Apple, we must infuse it with the humanity that each of us is born with.”
“If we could just do that, Steve knew we could really change the world.”
“We are all bound together into a single garment of destiny.”
“So I told him, if you can't accept our position, you shouldn't own Apple stock.”
“And if we are ever going to solve some of the hardest problems still facing the world today, everything from cancer to climate change to educational inequality, then technology will help us do it.”
“He wanted to empower the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes to do their best work.”
“I'm more concerned about people thinking like computers, without values or compassion, without concern for consequences.”
Browse all 233 quotes
“John is a brilliant engineer, a deep thinker, a person of remarkable character and a born leader.”
“I just celebrated my 28th anniversary of being here at Apple, 15 years as CEO.”
“We're about making the best products in the world that really enrich other people's lives.”
“Apple TV has also earned its place among the most decorated names in entertainment with more than 800 wins and more than 3,400 nominations in the 6 years since launch.”
“Twenty-eight years ago, I walked into Apple and I've loved every day of it since,”
“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company,”
“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple,”
“I'm not worried about artificial intelligence giving computers the ability to think like humans.”
“Whatever you do in your life and whatever we do at Apple, we must infuse it with the humanity that each of us is born with.”
“If we could just do that, Steve knew we could really change the world.”
“We are all bound together into a single garment of destiny.”
“So I told him, if you can't accept our position, you shouldn't own Apple stock.”
“And if we are ever going to solve some of the hardest problems still facing the world today, everything from cancer to climate change to educational inequality, then technology will help us do it.”
“He wanted to empower the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes to do their best work.”
“I'm more concerned about people thinking like computers, without values or compassion, without concern for consequences.”
“I looked at the performance of the company in the first half, and it’s been remarkable. I wanted to announce at a point in time where our roadmap was incredible, and so there would be some great things happening in the future.”
“It creates both revenue pressure, as you would guess, in the region, and it creates input costs across the world,”
“I looked at three things,”
“Ben, let me talk about memory specifically, which I think is the root of the question.”
“And according to IDC, we gained market share during the quarter.”
“At TSMC's Arizona facility, for example, Apple is on track to purchase well over 100 million advanced chips.”
“For the March quarter, the gross margin of 49.3% did include the impact of tariff-related costs.”
“And never forget the North Star for the company.”
“For Mac, in the June quarter, there's 2 factors that are driving the constraints.”
“The performance is really driven by iPhone, which was also a March quarter record.”
“From Mac Mini to MacBook Pro and everything in between, Mac is the best platform for AI with Apple Silicon delivering exceptional performance, industry-leading efficiency and the ability to run advanced models locally in ways that simply weren't possible before.”
“All of this is a testament to the outstanding forward-thinking and innovative work of our teams.”
“People love the performance.”
“What truly sets Apple apart is how Apple Intelligence is woven into the core of our platforms, powered by Apple Silicon and designed from the ground up to deliver intelligence that is fast, personal, and private.”
“AirPods can bridge languages too, thanks to Live Translation powered by Apple Intelligence.”
“One is that on the Mac Mini and the Mac Studio, both of these are amazing platforms for AI and Agentic tools.”
“Today, Apple is proud to report $111.2 billion in revenue, up 17% from a year ago and a March quarter record, which was above the high end of our guidance range despite supply constraints.”
“During the quarter, we welcomed iPhone 17E, the newest addition to what is already the strongest iPhone lineup we've ever had.”
“The new MLS season is also well underway and subscribers in more than 100 countries and regions can watch every match with no blackouts.”
“We're seeing double-digit growth in the majority of the markets we track from the U.S. to Latin America to Greater China to Western Europe, to India to Japan to Southeast Asia.”
“And with iPhone 17, we're seeing a strong response not only from customers upgrading from previous generations, but also from people choosing iPhone for the very first time.”
“We were also thrilled to open the doors to our sixth store in India.”
“In fact, during the recent mission, Artemis II astronauts captured some truly otherworldly images of earth and space using iPhone 17 Pro Max.”
“Looking ahead, we're delighted to welcome developers back to Apple Park for WWDC26.”
“We have always believed that people who think different can change the world, and we have been proud to build tools and technologies that allow them to do just that.”
“Through an unforgettable week of innovation, we also unveiled MacBook Neo, giving us an opportunity to bring the power of Mac to more people than ever before.”
“Over the last year, we've reached new milestones in the environment, including the use of recycled content in 30% of the materials in all of our products shipped in 2025, the most we've ever had.”
“As always, we remain in relentless pursuit of even more powerful innovations guided by our North Star, our users.”
“As I have said, there is no one on this planet I trust more to lead Apple into the future than John Ternus.”
“We said it would be a bit more in the March quarter, and we did see higher memory costs in the March quarter, and they were partially offset by benefits from carry-in inventory that we had.”
“We saw double-digit growth in both developed and emerging markets and set new all-time revenue records across most of the services categories.”
“We're doing well with both of those.”
“We are thrilled with the performance in Greater China.”
“And I would spend it where the greatest benefit to the company and the users are.”
“In retail, we had a March quarter revenue record and saw very high levels of store traffic throughout the quarter.”
“Second, our road map is incredible.”
“We are clearly investing more.”
“With a remarkable leap in performance, it raises the bar for what users can do on iPad from advanced creative workflows to powerful productivity and immersive learning.”
“We set March quarter records for upgraders and customers new to Mac.”
“Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch SE continue to play an essential role in users' lives going far beyond fitness tracking to deliver meaningful insights and support for their health and well-being.”
“If you look at the individual products, the iPhone was the top-selling model in urban China.”
“MacBook Pro reaches new heights with M5 Pro and M5 Max, delivering extraordinary performance and dramatically advancing what users can do with AI on a portable system.”
“But I would just say that we're thrilled with how the iPhone is doing, growing 22% in the quarter and followed up from an incredible Q1 and having the strongest cycle that we've ever had in our history from the launch through March quarter.”
“We're delighted with the reception of what is the most advanced Mac lineup in our history.”
“It builds on years of innovation from the neural engine to advanced on-device processing, enabling capabilities that are not only incredibly powerful, but also respectful of user privacy.”
“Customers are capturing stunning photos and videos with our most advanced camera system ever on iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, including an 8x optical quality zoom and the all-new Center Stage front camera, unlocking entirely new ways to frame, create and share their moments.”
“In fact, this will be my 89th earnings call.”
“And whether it's a call across town or a conversation across continents, AirPods make it effortless to stay connected.”
“As we're accelerating our long-standing support for U.S. innovation, we're also investing in America's workforce.”
“I think it's a huge opportunity for us.”
“Across Wearables, Home and Accessories, revenue for the March quarter came in at $7.9 billion, up 5% from a year ago.”
“The first half of this year was very strong, growing double digits year-over-year.”
“Today, our iPad lineup is stronger than ever, led by the arrival of the M4-powered iPad Air.”
“With incredible performance and battery life and deep integration of Apple Intelligence, iPhone continues to set the standard for what a smartphone can be.”
“We could not be happier with it.”
“As I've told John, I will be here to support him in any way he needs and in any way I can.”
“At Apple, we believe powerful innovation and uncompromising quality can go hand-in-hand with sustainability.”
“And so I don't want to predict our ability to -- for supply and demand to match because if I look at it realistically, I think on the Mac Mini and the Max Studio, I believe it will take several months to reach supply-demand balance.”
“Whether around the world or in our own backyard, we're proud of the difference Apple has made to enrich lives and support the communities we serve.”
“And we look forward to bringing a more personalized Siri to users coming this year.”
“I have been so proud to call him a colleague and a friend, and I will be even more proud to call him Apple's CEO.”
“There's no better place to find celebrated storytellers than Apple TV.”
“These efforts build on the progress we've made in the American manufacturing program, including the work we're doing to advance an end-to-end silicon supply chain across the U.S.”
“We think looking forward that the Mini and the Mac Studio may take several months to reach supply-demand balance.”
“First, our business has been performing extremely well.”
“We've been enormously pleased with how the entire lineup has been received.”
“I'm incredibly optimistic about Apple's future, and I know we have the right team in place to deliver on the promise of this company.”
“Mac revenue was $8.4 billion for the March quarter, up 6% from a year ago despite supply constraints driven by higher-than-expected levels of demand.”
“It's so exciting to see how strongly users are embracing Mac for these capabilities.”
“It has been wonderful to see how we've continued to grow in India in recent years, part of our larger efforts to connect with even more customers in emerging markets all over the world.”
“Now let's turn to services, which set an all-time revenue record with $31 billion.”
“Increasingly, that same foundation is drawing developers and researchers to our products as powerful platforms for building and running Agentic AI, thanks to the unique combination of performance, efficiency and on-device capabilities.”
“We've also achieved our goal of removing plastic from packaging with every Apple product now shipping in fiber-based packaging.”
“And we could not be more excited about how the future is playing out.”
“Services reached an all-time revenue record, growing 16% from a year ago, while EPS set a March quarter record of $2.01, up 22% year-over-year.”
“And so we're thrilled with how things are going.”
“The first half of the year grew at 33%.”
“It's tremendously meaningful to see how Apple Watch continues to empower users to better understand their health, make more informed decisions and in many cases, change and even save lives.”
“We recently marked Apple's 50th anniversary with celebrations in our retail stores and with users around the world.”
“As part of our $600 billion commitment to the U.S., we were pleased to share recently that Mac mini production is coming to America later this year, expanding our factory operations in Houston with a brand-new facility.”
“It's because of them that there is no company like Apple, and I truly believe there never will be.”
“We're also making great progress in advancing American supply chain innovation.”
“At the same time, AirPods Pro 3 combined an incredibly immersive listening experience with intelligent features that adapt to how users move, train and live.”
“I know he will push us to go further than we think is possible in order to deliver the greatest products and services for our users.”
“It means a great deal to all of us.”
“Net-net, I'm over the moon excited about India.”
“We were celebrating Apple's 50th anniversary there, and it was just amazing to be a part of the community there.”
“And what's driving all this is that the customer satisfaction for the 17 family in the U.S., as an example, is 99%.”
“In March, we were thrilled to welcome 4 new companies to our American manufacturing program to help manufacture essential materials and components for Apple products sold worldwide.”
“As I mentioned earlier, iPhone had an excellent quarter with $57 billion in revenue, a March quarter record despite supply constraints.”
“When you combine this level of integration with our relentless focus on the customer experience, it becomes clear why Apple platforms are the best place to experience AI.”
“For the June quarter and what's embedded in the guidance that Kevan went through earlier, we expect significantly higher memory costs.”
“And so I'm really happy with how things have gone in the first half of this year.”
“There's tremendous enthusiasm for MacBook Neo, which made its debut during the March quarter, opening up an entirely new way to experience Mac at a breakthrough price.”
“Customer enthusiasm for iPhone has been extraordinary with revenue growing 22% year-over-year to achieve a March quarter record.”
“And the customer recognition of that is happening faster than what we had predicted.”
“And if you click down on those a step deeper and look at the R&D area separate than SG&A, you'll find that R&D is even accelerating much higher than the company is.”
“As we celebrated 50 years of Apple, we are even more excited and more optimistic about the next 50 years and beyond.”
“That includes the use of 100% recycled cobalt in all Apple design batteries and 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets.”
“We're very focused on customers new to the Mac and customers that have been holding on to their Mac of a very long period of time.”
“And then where we don't give color beyond June, I can tell you that beyond the June quarter, we believe memory costs will drive an increasing impact on our business.”
“From helping users stay active and reach their fitness goals to delivering powerful science-backed health insights that can prompt meaningful conversations with care providers, Apple Watch is with them every step of the way.”
“In the December quarter, we really had a minimal impact due to memory, and you can kind of see that in the gross margin results.”
“And despite doing extremely well there for quite some time, we still have a modest share.”
“The traffic in our stores grew by double digit.”
“The Mac Mini was the top-selling desktop in China and the MacBook Air was the top-selling laptop model.”
“I also want to take just a moment to share my profound gratitude for our shareholders, especially our long-term shareholders, for believing in Apple and for your support over the years.”
“This is not AI as a stand-alone feature, but AI as an essential intuitive part of the experience across our devices.”
“We've also further improved MacBook Air, already the world's most popular laptop with M5, making everyday tasks faster and more responsive than ever.”
“We're looking forward to opening the doors to an all-new advanced manufacturing center in Houston later this year, which will provide hands-on training led by Apple experts and tailor-made for students, supplier employees and American businesses.”
“That starts with the latest in Apple silicon for iPhone, A19 and A19 Pro, which include neural accelerators in the GPU to deliver a huge boost to AI performance.”
“It's about versatility, delivering a uniquely flexible experience that adapts to whatever users want to accomplish.”
“Across the lineup, this is the most powerful, capable and versatile iPhone family we've ever created.”
“Meanwhile, iPhone Air users are tapping into the Pro level performance in our slimmest iPhone ever.”
“For John, I think my advice is that or what I told him is that one of the most important decisions he'll make is where to spend his time.”
“I very much look forward to stepping into the role of Executive Chairman on September 1.”
“There are a lot of people moving into the middle class there, and we've got some great products for them, both currently and coming.”
“I'll always be proud of the impact Apple has had on our users' lives, and I can't begin to express how grateful I am for our amazing teams.”
“Over the coming months, John and I will be working closely together to make sure this transition is perfectly smooth.”
“We also achieved March quarter revenue records in both developed and emerging markets and saw double-digit growth in nearly every emerging market we track, including India.”
“It brings outstanding performance and core iPhone experiences at a remarkable value for everyone from enterprise teams to consumers.”
“And if you keep focusing on that and make your decisions around that, it will produce a great business, and we'll be able to build more products and do it all over again.”
“And according to IDC, we gained market share in the quarter.”
“We set March quarter revenue records and grew double digits in every geographic segment, including strong double-digit growth in Greater China and the rest of Asia Pacific.”
“This is a great time for sports fans on Apple TV too.”
“In terms of applying for a refund of tariffs paid, we're following the established processes, and we plan to reinvest any amount we receive back into U.S. innovation and advanced manufacturing.”
“It's the second largest smartphone market in the world and the third largest PC market.”
“These numbers are just unheard of.”
“And with the addition of our latest Apple silicon, along with the N1 wireless networking chip and C1X modem, users can stay seamlessly connected wherever they are.”
“And they love that Apple Intelligence is integrated across the platform.”
“We're investing in products and services, and we see opportunities in both of those.”
“Well, I think Steve's advice to me lifted a huge burden.”
“In fact, the iPhone 17 family is now the most popular lineup in our history when looking at the launch through the March quarter.”
“It was a special moment for us to reflect on the incredible journey we've shared with our users to thank everyone who's been a part of it and to look forward to writing the next chapter in our story of innovation.”
“It's a quarterly revenue record for us.”
“The second reason is that the customer response to Mac Neo has just been off the charts, with higher-than-expected demand.”
“And so we are clearly investing.”
“And most importantly, we have the right leader ready to step into the role.”
“In the March quarter, revenue was up 28%.”
“In March, we put an amazing showcase of human creativity and ingenuity in action with updates across iPhone, iPad and Mac.”
“And we set a new March quarter record for upgraders as well.”
“During the quarter, we introduced customers to a new level of audio experience with AirPods Max 2, delivering stunning sound quality and our most advanced active noise cancellation yet.”
“From New York to Chengdu to Paris, it was wonderful to see stores around the world at the center of Apple's 50th anniversary celebrations.”
“I am filled with optimism about what we can achieve in the years to come, and I am so happy to know that the most talented people on earth are here at Apple, determined to be part of something bigger than any one of us,”
“I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers.”
“I have always found his advice to be invaluable and I appreciate his thoughtfulness and his unwavering dedication to the company. I am grateful he will serve as our lead independent director, and I look forward to working with him in my new role.”
“I want to thank Art for the incredible work he has done leading the board of directors for the past 15 years,”
“So the question I hope you will carry forward from here is how will you serve humanity?”
“As you go forward today, use your minds and hands and your hearts to build something bigger than yourselves.”
“As you leave here to start the next leg of your journey in life, there will be days where you will ask yourself, where is all this going?”
“Technology today is integral to almost all aspects of our lives.”
“That responsibility is immense.”
“I was never going to find my purpose working someplace without a clear sense of purpose of its own.”
“Thanks to discoveries made right here, billions of people are leading healthier and more productive, more fulfilling lives.”
“This may surprise you, but he knew an unbelievable amount about technology.”
“I was just grateful to have that psychological burden lifted.”
“When you work towards something greater than yourself, you find meaning.”
“There is so much out there conspiring to make you cynical.”
“I'm optimistic because I believe in your generation, your passion, your journey to serve humanity.”
“I felt that my life got bigger when I stopped caring what other people thought about me.”
“And sometimes it's even part of the problem.”
“At MIT you've learned how much power science and technology have to change the world for the better.”
“But it can also be a place where basic rules of decency are suspended and pettiness and negativity thrive.”
“I sought guidance in religion.”
“And obviously that didn't work.”
“It was just that simple, serve humanity.”
“Because if science is a search in the darkness, then the humanities are a candle that shows us where we've been and the danger that lies ahead.”
“This is a man who had spent more time comforting the afflicted in slums than he has with heads of state.”
“Steve and Apple freed me to throw my whole self into my work, to embrace their mission and make it my own.”
“We love the search for new ideas.”
“You will find yours will too.”
“When you're convinced that your cause is right, have the courage to take a stand.”
“MIT and Apple share so much.”
“We do these things because they're the right thing to do.”
“I kept convincing myself that it was just over the horizon, around the next corner.”
“Stay focused on what really matters.”
“This is life's biggest and most important question.”
“The good news is since you're here today, you're already on a great track.”
“And for God's sake don't become one.”
“It means an iPad that helps a child with autism connect with his or world.”
“As Steve once said, "technology alone is not enough.”
“After countless twists and turns, at last, 20 years ago, my search brought me to Apple.”
“Sometimes the very technology that is meant to connect us divides us.”
“And it was really tearing me apart.”
“Threats to our security, threats to our privacy, fake news, and social media that becomes antisocial.”
“Part of me kept pushing ahead to the next achievement.”
“Before that moment, I had never met a leader with such passion or encountered a company with such a clear and compelling purpose, to serve humanity.”
“But with the help of hindsight, my breakthrough makes a lot more sense.”
“We both love hard problems.”
“That is what we need you to help us guard against.”
“There will be times when your resolve to serve humanity will be tested.”
“The struggle for me started early on.”
“I pointed out that Apple does many things, like accessibility features for those with disabilities, that don't rely on an ROI.”
“Technology is capable of doing great things, but it doesn't want to do great things.”
“Maybe by talking about my journey today, I can save you some time.”
“I tried to be diplomatic.”
“In short, it means technology infused with your values, making progress possible for everyone.”
“It doesn't want anything.”
“But technology alone isn't the solution.”
“It was the most incredible meeting of my life.”
“Congratulations class of '17.”
“Last year I had a chance to meet with Pope Francis.”
“We are all counting on you.”
“Always remember, there is no idea bigger than this.”
“The internet has enabled so much and empowered so many.”
“If you see a problem or an injustice, recognize that no one will fix it but you.”
“And it was in that moment, after 15 years of searching, something clicked.”
“But so is the opportunity.”
“I'll be honest, I asked myself that same question, and it took me nearly 15 years to answer it.”
“How can I serve humanity?”
“It means an Apple Watch catches a heart condition before it becomes a heart attack.”
“Don't let that noise knock you off course.”
“It takes our values and our commitment to our families and our neighbors and our communities, our love of beauty and belief that all of our faiths are interconnected-- our decency, our kindness.”
“It means an iPhone that allows a blind person to run a marathon.”
“Today is about celebration.”
“I haven't, but my father, when he was alive, he fell in the house and he was living alone,”
“He didn't respond to the door and so they kicked the door down — and it was a good thing they did because he was not conscious at the time.”
“And the other thing the watch does is send a notification to your family and to emergency services if you fall, because it detects the fall because of the accelerometer in [it].”
In the News
- Apple CEO Tim Cook's Daily Habits: A Look at His Morning Routineone.news18.com · 2026-07-19
- Pop Mart’s Wang Ning meets Apple CEO Tim Cook for talks on creative design, other topics - Global Timesglobaltimes.cn · 2026-07-16
- Tim Cook cites performance, roadmap and successor readiness for Apple exit | Fox Businessfoxbusiness.com · 2026-04-30
- Tim Cook Meets With Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Ahead of CEO Transition - MacRumorsmacrumors.com · 2026-04-28
- Tim Cook steps down after 15 years at Applebetanews.com · 2026-04-22
- Tim Cook Stays On as Apple's Top Government Diplomat — Explosionexplosion.com · 2026-04-21
- Apple's Tim Cook to step down as CEO | Boise State Public Radioboisestatepublicradio.org · 2026-04-21
- Tim Cook steps down as Apple CEO; hardware veteran John Ternus to take over | Khaleej Timeskhaleejtimes.com · 2026-04-21
- Apple CEO Tim Cook to step down as hardware leader John Ternus takes over | AP Newsapnews.com · 2026-04-20
- Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down, John Ternus set to replace him - ABC Newsabcnews.com · 2026-04-20
- Tim Cook stepping down as Apple CEO, John Ternus taking over | TechCrunchtechcrunch.com · 2026-04-20
- Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down, tech giant announcesdesertsun.com · 2026-04-20
- Tim Cook to become Apple Executive Chairman John Ternus to become Apple CEO - Appleapple.com · 2026-04-01
- Tim Cookforbes.com · 2026-03-10
- Tim Cook had ‘a good conversation’ with Trump about deescalation | The Vergetheverge.com · 2026-01-28
- Tim Cook - Duke Centennial100.duke.edu · 2024-07-01
- Tim Cookcnbc.com · 2018-06-20
Every quote on this page passed an independent check against its original source before publication. These are short excerpts, bibliographic citations, and headline links only — follow each link to read the full article, watch the full video, or find the full work.