In a year that was dominated by the massive success of its hardware business as well as gains in its software services, Apple CEO Tim Cook’s compensation figure touched millions. Cook received a total compensation of $74.3 million for fiscal year 2025, which is a slight dip from $74.6 million from the previous year, according to the company’s annual proxy statement filed ahead of its 2026 shareholder meeting. The package confirms Apple’s continued focus on performance-linked pay, with the bulk tied to stock awards and incentives.
The disclosure comes just as Apple prepares for its virtual annual shareholders meeting on February 24, 2026. Cook’s pay has stabilized in recent years following a voluntary reduction in 2023, when he accepted a cut from packages that approached $100 million amid shareholder feedback.
Tim Cook’s compensation figures for 2025 revealed
Base salary: $3 million (unchanged since 2016).
Stock awards: $57.5 million.
Performance-based cash incentives: $12 million.
Other compensation: Approximately $1.76 million, covering items such as 401(k) contributions, life insurance premiums, vacation cash-outs, security expenses, and personal air travel.
Apple had set a target compensation of $59 million for Cook in 2025, which is the same as in 2024. However, the final amount exceeded this due to strong incentive payouts linked to the company’s robust financial results, including record net sales.
Cook’s compensations overshadow other top Apple executives
Cook’s annual package remains significantly higher than that of other top executives, who earned around $27 million on average. Notable figures include new Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan and outgoing General Counsel Kate Adams.
The steady compensation aligns with Apple’s shareholder-friendly approach to executive pay, prioritizing equity awards that vest based on long-term performance and total shareholder returns.
However, Cook is now 65 years old, and rumours suggest he intends to retire soon. Ever since he took over from Steve Jobs, Cook has led Apple through innovations in AI, services, and hardware revolutions. Speculations now hint at Apple planning to put its hardware engineering head John Ternus in the chair of Cook, with many analysts predicting an innovation-centric future for the Cupertino-based tech brand.
Ternus, who has been serving his current role since 2021, is a seasoned executive and is widely regarded as the leading internal candidate to succeed CEO Tim Cook. Born around 1975, Ternus began his career designing virtual reality headsets before joining Apple in 2001 on the product design team. Over two decades, he has overseen hardware development for iconic products, including every iPad generation, recent iPhone lineups, AirPods, the Mac’s transition to Apple Silicon, and key presentations at events like WWDC. Ternus currently reports directly to Cook.
