A moment before parting with Apple: Tim Cook summarizes 15 years in one sentence
Weeks before he vacates the CEO chair for John Ternus, Tim Cook was asked how he would like his tenure at Apple to be remembered. Instead of talking about iPhones, services, or trillions of dollars, he chose a much more personal answer: "I hope people will say that I was a good and decent person."
After 15 years at the helm of one of the most influential technology companies in the world, Tim Cook is in his final weeks as CEO of Apple. On September 1st, he is expected to vacate the chair for John Ternus, and in recent days, as the countdown is in full swing, Cook was asked a question that is almost impossible to answer without sounding self-satisfied: what will your legacy be?
The question was raised this week in an interview with CBS News held in Houston, concurrently with the opening of Apple's new advanced manufacturing center. Reporter Jo Ling Kent reminded Cook that he had previously defined the legacy of Apple founder and his predecessor, Steve Jobs, as "innovation," and asked him what he himself represented during his time as CEO.
Cook, as usual, was not quick to crown himself:
"You're asking a question about legacy, and that's a good question. But in my view, your legacy is described by others, not by you. So I hope people will say that I was a good and decent person. And if they say that in the end, I will feel that I have achieved something."
This is a particularly interesting answer considering the period Cook is leaving behind. He took the position in 2011, shortly before the launch of the iPhone 4S and the original version of Siri. Now, 15 years later, Ternus is expected to receive Apple at another turning point — ahead of the launch of the company's first foldable iPhone and the full launch of Siri AI.
But Cook's legacy is not limited to products. Throughout his tenure, he repeatedly presented Apple as a company that wants to be a positive force, with an emphasis on privacy, the environment, and diversity. At the same time, recent years have forced him to navigate a complex relationship with US President Donald Trump, among other things regarding pressure to move more production activity to the United States. Cook even faced criticism after he gave Trump a golden cup, a move he said was not intended to be a political statement. He later explained that he maintains ties with governments around the world even when he disagrees with them, because without dialogue, there is no possibility to influence.
The interview in Houston also touched on the less philosophical side of the current period at Apple — prices. The company's Chief Operating Officer, Sabih Khan, was asked about the recent price increases for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other products, and pointed to one of the central factors: memory.
"There is one component, memory, whose price is rising at an unprecedented rate within a very short period of time. We are not immune to this, and we are working with our supply chain to find a way to deal with the situation," said Khan.
For Cook, questions about component and product prices will soon become someone else's problem. On September 1st, John Ternus is expected to take the position and become a new member of the very small club of people who have managed Apple. Cook has made it clear that he does not intend to write the final line about his period at the company himself, hoping that when others do so, they will remember the person first — and not just the CEO.
