Apple chief Tim Cook says it was the 'right time' to step down as CEO

Apple CEO Tim Cook says he is stepping down after 15 years as chief executive because three key factors aligned: Apple’s current performance, its product roadmap and the readiness of his successor, John Ternus.

Cook said the timing came down to a clear internal assessment of the company’s position and future.

"I looked at three things," Cook told FOX Business. "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. 

"And I wanted to announce at a time that John was ready, and John is ready. And, so, all three of those things intersected, and it felt to me like the right time."

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Apple announced last week that Cook will step down as CEO on Sept. 1 and transition to executive chairman. Ternus, Apple’s head of hardware engineering, will take over as the company’s next chief executive.

Cook is entering the final stretch of his CEO tenure with a record second quarter. Apple revenue jumped 17%, ahead of analyst estimates, while iPhone sales increased 22% from a year earlier. Cook said iPhone sales could have been even stronger if not for supply constraints that limited availability.

The war in Iran is also affecting Apple’s business, Cook said, creating pressure on both revenue and costs.

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"It creates both revenue pressure, as you would guess, in the region, and it creates input costs across the world," Cook said. Oil prices have risen to their highest level in four years amid supply disruptions in the Middle East and concerns around the Strait of Hormuz.

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Cook also addressed investor concerns that Apple is perceived to be behind in the artificial intelligence race, as some Silicon Valley competitors spend far more aggressively on AI infrastructure.

"If you look at our year-over-year growth, we’ve really ramped significantly," Cook said, adding that Apple uses "a hybrid model" that includes "both our own data centers and other people’s data centers."

Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and Alphabet have collectively forecast more than $700 billion in spending this year, with much of that investment directed toward AI data centers.

Asked how important AI is in his day-to-day priorities, Cook said it is "at the top of my list, because I see it as a huge opportunity for us and what we deliver to our users."

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Another issue weighing on Apple investors is the surge in memory chip prices, which have climbed roughly 500% since August. Cook said Apple’s memory costs were higher in the March quarter and are reflected in the company’s gross margin.

And, Cook said during the tech giant's earnings call on Thursday that the company would seek refunds for duties paid under President Donald Trump's tariffs.

"We plan to reinvest any amount we receive back into U.S. innovation and advanced manufacturing," Cook said. "These would be new investments and would be in addition to our prior commitments in the U.S."

Apple has one more earnings report before Cook’s CEO tenure ends Sept. 1. During his 15-year run as CEO, Apple returned nearly 2,000% to shareholders and increased its market value by more than 1,000%.