---
title: "Tim Cook says he will not interfere as John Ternus takes over Apple"
description: "Cook says he is not meddling and offered advice to the new CEO; Bloomberg reports Ternus is shaping a lighter OLED MacBook Pro."
url: https://mactoreality.com/tim-cook-says-he-will-not-interfere-as-john-ternus-takes-over-apple
published: 2026-10-09T06:42:31Z
updated: 2026-10-09T06:42:31Z
author: "Mac to Reality Newsdesk"
category: Rumours
tags: ["Business & leadership","Mac"]
publisher: Mac to Reality
ai_assisted: true
apple_heat_impact: 2
---

# Tim Cook says he will not interfere as John Ternus takes over Apple

*Cook says he is not meddling and offered advice to the new CEO; Bloomberg reports Ternus is shaping a lighter OLED MacBook Pro.*

**Key points**

- Tim Cook says he is not meddling in John Ternus's work and described their relationship as built on trust.
- Cook advised Ternus to make the CEO job his own and spend time where he adds the most value.
- Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports Ternus leads design and a touch-screen OLED MacBook Pro is getting lighter.

Tim Cook is not interfering in the work of Apple’s new CEO, John Ternus, he told [The Independent’s David Phelan](https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/apple-tim-cook-music-hall-kings-trust-ceo-b3063503.html) in his first interview since stepping down. Cook handed over the CEO role on 1 September and is now Apple’s executive chair.

Cook said he and Ternus have an incredible level of trust in each other. His own focus is now worldwide policy and Apple’s dealings with governments, which he said helps Ternus. “I’m not meddling. I’m not a meddler,” he said.

His advice to Ternus was to make the job his own and spend his time where he can add the most value. “That means don’t mimic me. Just like I didn’t mimic Steve,” Cook said. He added that the transition started years ago and has gone exactly the way he had envisioned.

Cook also explained why he left before the iPhone Duo launch on 23 October rather than presenting it himself: “I wanted John to have some wind at his back.” Ternus has already been reported to be [taking a hands-on role in design](https://mactoreality.com/john-ternus-prioritizes-design-with-steve-jobs-like-involvement-as-ceo/), according to [Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-10-04/apple-s-john-ternus-leads-design-touch-screen-oled-macbook-pro-gets-lighter).

## Sources

- [The Independent: Apple’s Tim Cook reveals one of his major new projects](https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/apple-tim-cook-music-hall-kings-trust-ceo-b3063503.html)
- [Bloomberg: Apple’s John Ternus Leads Design; Touch-Screen OLED MacBook Pro Gets Lighter](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-10-04/apple-s-john-ternus-leads-design-touch-screen-oled-macbook-pro-gets-lighter)
- [The Verge: Tim Cook says ‘I’m not meddling’ in the new Apple CEO’s business](https://www.theverge.com/news/1008279/apple-tim-cook-not-meddling-john-ternus-ceo)
- [MacRumors: Tim Cook Says He's 'Not Meddling' With Apple's New CEO John Ternus](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/10/08/tim-cook-says-hes-not-meddling-with-ternus/)

*This report was written by the Mac to Reality newsdesk with AI assistance from the sources listed above, under the editorial policy at https://mactoreality.com/editorial-policy.*