Apple CEO Tim Cook and hardware chief John Ternus have paid tribute to Steve Jobs today, marking 15 years since the Apple co-founder died on October 5, 2011.
Cook shared a photograph of Jobs alongside a personal message reflecting on the impact he had both on the world and on Cook himself.
“There are people who leave a mark on the world, and then there are people who change it entirely,” Cook wrote. “Steve changed the world and so many lives in the process. He certainly changed my life forever. His spirit lives on in everything he created and everyone he inspired.”
Cook, who succeeded Jobs as Apple CEO in August 2011, has regularly marked the anniversary of his death with personal tributes, often reflecting on Jobs’ influence on Apple and the people who worked alongside him.
John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, also shared a tribute to Jobs, focusing on lessons that continue to shape the company’s work today.
“The way Steve taught us to care about every detail, every experience, every person, still guides our work today,” Ternus wrote. “Forever grateful.”
Ternus joined Apple’s Product Design team in 2001, meaning he spent around a decade at the company while Jobs was CEO. The Apple Post previously reported on Ternus’ years working at Apple under Jobs as he rose through the company’s hardware organization.
The two tributes offer different reflections on Jobs’ legacy. Cook focused on the personal and global impact Jobs had during his life, while Ternus highlighted the attention to detail and experience that Jobs instilled in Apple and which he says continues to guide the company today.
Jobs died on October 5, 2011, aged 56, just weeks after stepping down as Apple CEO. Today marks exactly 15 years since his death.