History of Tim Cook in Timeline

Tim Cook is the current CEO of Apple, a position he assumed on August 24, 2011, after Steve Jobs' resignation. He joined Apple in March 1998, initially serving as Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations, then as Vice President for Worldwide Sales and Operations. Before becoming CEO, he served as the company's Chief Operating Officer under Steve Jobs. Cook's leadership has continued Apple's trajectory as a leading technology innovator and one of the world's most valuable companies.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

November 1, 1960: Tim Cook's Birth

On November 1, 1960, Timothy Donald Cook was born in Mobile, Alabama.

1978: Cook Graduates from High School

In 1978, Tim Cook graduated salutatorian from Robertsdale High School in Alabama.

1982: Cook Receives Bachelor of Science from Auburn University

In 1982, Tim Cook received a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in industrial engineering from Auburn University.

1988: Cook Earns MBA and Becomes a Fuqua Scholar

In 1988, Tim Cook earned his MBA from Duke University, becoming a Fuqua Scholar.

1988: Cook Receives MBA from Duke University

In 1988, Tim Cook received a Master of Business Administration from Duke University.

1995: Apple Revenue

In 1995, Apple's revenue was $11 billion

1996: Cook Misdiagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis

In 1996, Tim Cook was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an incident he said made him "see the world in a different way".

1997: Cook Becomes VP at Compaq

In 1997, Tim Cook became the vice president for corporate materials at Compaq.

March 1998: Cook Joins Apple as SVP

In March 1998, Tim Cook joined Apple as the senior vice president for worldwide operations.

1998: Apple Revenue

In 1998, Apple's revenue was under $6 billion.

1998: Steve Jobs Asks Cook to Join Apple

In 1998, Steve Jobs asked Tim Cook to join Apple.

1998: Cook Joins Apple

In early 1998, Tim Cook decided to join Apple, influenced by his meeting with Steve Jobs.

2000: Ballmer Becomes CEO of Microsoft

In 2000, Ballmer became CEO of Microsoft.

2005: Cook Joins Nike's Board of Directors

In 2005, Tim Cook joined the board of directors of Nike.

2005: Apple Invests in Flash Memory

In 2005, Tim Cook's group at Apple invested in long-term deals, including advance investment in flash memory.

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January 2007: Cook Promoted to Lead Operations

In January 2007, Tim Cook was promoted to lead operations at Apple.

2008: Cook Donates to Obama's Campaign

During the 2008 election cycle, Tim Cook donated to Barack Obama's first White House election campaign.

2009: Offered Liver to Steve Jobs

In 2009, Tim Cook offered a portion of his liver to Steve Jobs due to their shared rare blood type. However, Jobs refused the offer emphatically.

2009: Cook Becomes CEO During Jobs' Leave

In 2009, Tim Cook served as chief executive officer while Steve Jobs was on a leave of absence due to failing health.

2010: Commencement Speech at Auburn

During his 2010 commencement speech at Auburn, Tim Cook highlighted the importance of intuition in decision-making, while also emphasizing the need for preparation and hard work.

January 2011: Cook Takes Over Day-to-Day Operations

In January 2011, Apple's board approved a third medical leave for Jobs, and Tim Cook was responsible for most of Apple's day-to-day operations.

August 24, 2011: Cook Appointed Apple CEO

On August 24, 2011, Tim Cook was appointed the chief executive officer of Apple, following Steve Jobs's resignation.

August 24, 2011: Cook Named CEO of Apple

On August 24, 2011, Tim Cook was named the new chief executive officer of Apple after Steve Jobs resigned from the position, becoming chairman of the board.

September 2011: Jobs and Cook Rescued Apple

In September 2011, it was reported that Jobs and Cook rescued the company, increasing revenue from under $6 billion in 1998 to $100 billion.

October 5, 2011: Steve Jobs Dies

On October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs died due to complications from pancreatic cancer.

2011: Cook Takes Over Apple

In 2011, Tim Cook took over Apple.

2011: Reports that Cook was Gay

In early 2011, it was reported that Tim Cook was gay, although at the time he tried to keep his personal life private while still publicly supporting LGBT rights.

October 29, 2012: Apple Executive Team Changes

On October 29, 2012, Tim Cook made major changes to Apple's executive team, including the resignation of Scott Forstall and the dismissal of John Browett.

2012: Cook Appears on Time 100

In 2012, Tim Cook appeared on the Time 100, Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

2012: Executive Changes After Quarter Performance

In 2012, after the third quarter of the fiscal year, Tim Cook made executive changes due to revenues and profits growing less than predicted.

May 2013: Cook Shares Leadership Focus

In May 2013, Tim Cook shared that his leadership focused on people, strategy, and execution.

2013: Forstall Departs from Apple

In 2013, Scott Forstall eventually departed from Apple, after resigning in October 2012.

February 28, 2014: Cook Challenges Shareholders

On February 28, 2014, Tim Cook challenged shareholders to "get out of the stock" if they did not share the company's views on sustainability and climate change.

June 2014: Attended San Francisco's Gay Pride Parade

In June 2014, Tim Cook participated in San Francisco's gay pride parade with Apple staff.

October 2014: Cook Publicly Comes Out as Gay

In October 2014, Tim Cook became the first chief executive of a Fortune 500 company to publicly come out as gay and the Alabama Academy of Honor inducted Cook.

October 2014: Cook Seeks Privacy

In October 2014, Tim Cook explained that he has sought to achieve a "basic level of privacy".

March 2015: Cook Announces Plans to Donate Fortune to Charity

In March 2015, Tim Cook announced his plans to donate his fortune to charity.

June 2015: The New York Times Article: Tim Cook, Making Apple His Own

On June 15, 2015, The New York Times published an article titled "Tim Cook, Making Apple His Own" by Matt Richtel and Brian X. Chen.

September 2015: Clarified Privacy Views on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

In September 2015, Tim Cook appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to explain that he felt he had valued his privacy too much and wanted to use his position to help others by sharing his truth.

2015: Cook Donates to Democratic Senators

In 2015, Tim Cook donated to Democratic senators Chuck Schumer and Patrick Leahy.

2015: Named to Duke University Board of Trustees

In 2015, Tim Cook was appointed to Duke University's board of trustees for a six-year term.

March 2016: Cook Discloses Donation to Zoe Lofgren

In early March 2016, Tim Cook disclosed that he donated to the election campaign of Democratic representative Zoe Lofgren of California.

May 2016: Cook Travels to China

In May 2016, Tim Cook traveled to China to meet with government officials after the Chinese government closed Apple's online iTunes Store and Apple Books store.

2016: Cook Signs Deal with Chinese Officials

In 2016, Tim Cook signed a $275 billion deal with Chinese officials, leading to increased censorship by Apple in China.

2016: Analysts Compare Cook to Steve Ballmer

In 2016, some analysts compared Tim Cook to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

2016: Cook Raises Funds for Hillary Clinton

In the 2016 election, Tim Cook raised funds for the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton.

September 2017: Cook Defends DACA

In September 2017, at Bloomberg's Global Business Forum, Tim Cook defended the DACA immigration program and expressed his dissatisfaction with the direction of Donald Trump's administration.

December 2017: Cook Speaks at World Internet Conference

In December 2017, Tim Cook was a speaker at the World Internet Conference in China.

2018: Delivered Duke University's Commencement Address

In 2018, Tim Cook delivered the commencement address at Duke University.

2018: Cook Expresses Opinions on Data Stockpiling

In 2018, at a privacy conference in Brussels, Tim Cook expressed his opinions on the stockpiling of personal data by tech firms.

March 2019: Trump Calls Cook "Tim Apple"

In March 2019, during a meeting with President Donald Trump, Trump referred to Tim Cook as "Tim Apple," which Cook then used as his Twitter display name.

October 2019: Talked About Coming Out Decision

In October 2019, Tim Cook discussed his decision to come out as gay, acknowledging the LGBTQ activists who paved the way for him and expressing his hope that his openness could inspire LGBTQ youth facing difficulties.

October 2019: Cook Appointed Chairman of Advisory Board

In October 2019, Tim Cook was appointed chairman of the advisory board for Tsinghua University's economics school for a three-year term.

2019: Criticism Over App Removal

In 2019, Tim Cook faced criticism from lawmakers over Apple's decision to remove an app used by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong from its App Store.