John Ternus, who assumed the role of Apple CEO on September 1, posted a simple greeting on social media platform X that garnered millions of views, drawing responses from prominent figures including Elon Musk.
John Ternus officially took over as chief executive of Apple on Tuesday, marking the end of Tim Cook's 15-year tenure leading the technology company. Cook will transition to the role of executive chairman and remain with the organization. Ternus, aged 50, marked his new position with a minimalist approach to social media, posting the word "hello" on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The post quickly gained traction, accumulating more than 2.6 million views and attracting responses from notable figures, including platform owner Elon Musk, who replied with a welcome message.
Ternus brings extensive experience in hardware development to the top job, having spent nearly a quarter-century at Apple since joining in 2001. He started as part of the company's product design team before advancing to vice president of hardware engineering in 2013. In 2021, he was elevated to senior vice president of hardware engineering, where he directly reported to Cook and oversaw engineering operations across major product lines including iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and AirPods. Prior to his Apple career, he worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems and holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ternus's appointment represents a significant shift in Apple's leadership structure, as he is the first hardware-focused executive to lead the company in its current era. Notably, Ternus is the same age Cook was when he assumed the CEO position in 2011 following the departure of co-founder Steve Jobs. Under Cook's leadership, Apple expanded substantially, transforming the iPhone into a multibillion-dollar business, growing its services division significantly, and establishing strong market presence in China and India.