In 1998, Steve Jobs convinced a 37-year-old Tim Cook to join near-bankrupt Apple

Tim Cook concluded his 15-year tenure as Apple’s CEO on August 31, 2026, transitioning to executive chairman of the board effective September 1, 2026. John Ternus, formerly senior vice president of hardware engineering, has officially taken the helm of the company. While Cook leaves behind an era defined by monumental commercial success, his beginnings at the company were far more modest. Back in early 1998, Apple was on the edge of financial collapse, struggling with plunging staff morale, and widely viewed as an undesirable employer across Silicon Valley. Yet, Steve Jobs managed to convince a 37-year-old rising executive to walk away from Compaq, which was then the global leader in personal computer sales, and join the struggling company.Before making the leap, Cook had built an extensive corporate resume, spending 12 years at IBM alongside key executive roles at Intelligent Electronics and Compaq.