At Apple CEO’s Farewell, Tributes and an Unusually Personal Tim Cook

Next Tuesday, Tim Cook will officially pass the baton as Apple CEO to his successor, John Ternus. But in his final days as the company’s top executive, Apple and luminaries associated with the company are sending the executive off in style. The hyper-private Cook has even opened an uncharacteristic window into his personal life.

On Sunday, Apple hosted a farewell party for Cook at Apple Park, its campus in Cupertino, Calif. Part of the event took place at Caffè Macs, the company cafeteria inside the donut-shaped headquarters building, according to a person aware of details of the event. The band OneRepublic performed in the round outdoor courtyard in the center of the building (a photo on X shows Cook holding a guitar while standing with members of the band).

Approximately two hundred or so people were at the event, almost entirely made up of Apple employees, the person said. Among the people who offered tributes to Cook at the event were Laurene Powell Jobs, the wife of Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs, and Jeff Williams, Apple’s former chief operating officer, who retired last year. Eddy Cue, who leads Apple’s services and health business, and Ternus, who currently leads hardware engineering, also spoke.

Cook spoke at the event as well. In his remarks, he acknowledged the presence of his partner, calling him by first name, Mike, the person familiar with details of the event said. Cook rarely discusses his personal life in public or semi-public settings, other than in 2014 when he announced that he was gay.

Beginning next week, Cook will enter a new chapter of his Apple career when he becomes executive chairman. In its announcement about the change in roles, Apple said that Cook “will assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world.”

The coming months and years will show how Ternus plans to lead Apple differently than Cook. For now though, people familiar with Apple say they expect many things at Apple to remain unchanged at the top, emphasizing a single word to describe the transition: continuity.

That theme even extends to the people who will work most closely with Ternus. According to two people familiar with the matter, Cook’s executive assistant will work with Ternus going forward.

“The transition is going seamlessly, and I am beyond excited for John to step into his new role and lead Apple into its next era,” Cook said last month at his final earnings call as CEO.