Tim Cook was paid approximately $74.3 million through 2025 with his salary and stock grants, while new CEO John Ternus will make about $58 million across fiscal 2027.
The Apple CEO transition has finally occurred with Tim Cook stepping into the Executive Chairman position and John Ternus taking over. While their respective pays have very little to do with the day-to-day business, they are still interesting to note.
According to a report from Bloomberg, John Ternus will be paid a $3 million annual salary with a stock grant targeting a $55 million value in 2027. Cook, on the other hand, will be taking a slight pay cut at a $2 million salary and a $45 million stock package.
It isn't clear how much of Cook's stock package is related to his former CEO position or perceived value as Executive Chairman, but the pay is incredibly high for the position. Ternus, on the other hand, isn't getting quite the same payout as his predecessor.
In 2025, Cook was paid about $74.3 million total. He was the seventh highest paid CEO that year.
The pay for both Cook and Ternus going forward will be affected by Apple's stock price, though Cook's less so.
Cook's stock grants only tie up about half of the investments to the S&P 500, which means his pay is less affected by Apple's performance overall. He expects to remain in the role for some time, and will also act as a sort of government liaison for Apple.
It'll be interesting to see exactly how Ternus affects Apple over time. Don't expect anything drastic in the short term though, as Apple is a monolith that isn't easily changed.
