Tim Cook Tells Apple Staff He Is 'Healthy' and Will Serve as Chairman for a 'Long Time'

Tim Cook intends to remain at Apple well beyond his upcoming exit from the CEO role. Addressing employees during an all-hands meeting at the Steve Jobs Theater, the 65-year-old executive said, "I am healthy. My energy is high, and I plan to be in this new role for a long time," after passing the reins to hardware chief John Ternus.



The remarks arrive shortly after Apple officially announced that Cook is stepping down as Apple CEO on September 1. A new report from Bloomberg details comments he made during the meeting. While Ternus has been viewed as the natural successor for quite a while, Cook had previously brushed off rumors of an imminent departure. Speaking to staff, Cook clarified his reasons for making the move now, emphasizing that he wanted the handover to serve as a "textbook succession plan" that business schools will study. He explained that a perfect transition required three elements to align: the business had to be doing great, the product roadmap had to be incredible, and Ternus had to be fully ready for the role. With Apple coming off its best-ever holiday quarter, Cook noted that those three conditions have finally intersected. "These three things all intersected and they intersect now," Cook said. "And so now was the time."


Taking on the executive chairman role, a new position for Cook, will allow him to shift his focus away from daily operational management. Instead, he plans to focus on strengthening Apple's international relationships, an area he has worked on for more than a decade. "I'll be here to support John in any way he needs and in any way I can," Cook said. "I'll be here to offer my knowledge and experience and be a sounding board anytime I'm called upon." He added that "there can only be one CEO at a time."

Ternus also addressed staff during the meeting, sharing his own internal perspective and echoing Cook's outlook on the company. "We are about to change the world once again," he said, describing this as the most exciting time in his career to be building products and services. He also stressed that the company's core values will remain unchanged, with design, privacy, security, and environmental efforts continuing to play a central role. "Who we are as a company won't change."

That hardware roadmap is currently packed with ambitious, high-stakes projects. Apple is poised to launch its first foldable iPhone later this fall, and the company is actively developing several new home devices alongside new wearables. Ternus emphasized to the gathered staff that artificial intelligence will create almost unlimited potential across these new categories. "AI is going to create almost unlimited potential," he said, pointing to new opportunities for how users will interact with Apple's ecosystem.

Cook's remarks suggest he is trying to tamp down speculation regarding his health or his reasons for relinquishing the top job. He reassured his team of his long-term commitment to the company. Even as the leadership structure officially changes hands this fall, Cook made it clear that Apple remains his top priority and that he cannot imagine his life any other way.