Tim Cook Featured in TIME's List of '100 Most Influential People'

time-cook-time-100-2015-iconsApple CEO Tim Cook has made TIME's annual list of "the 100 most influential people" alongside several other notable celebrities, business executives, scientists, authors, healthcare professionals, iconic leaders and more.

Cook's segment was written by John Lewis, a civil rights leader and Democratic Congressman from Georgia. The chief executive last made TIME's list in 2012, less than one year after the passing of Steve Jobs.

"It could not have been easy for Tim Cook to step into the immense shadow cast by the late Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs. But with grace and courage and an unabashed willingness to be his own man, Tim has pushed Apple to unimaginable profitability—and greater social responsibility. He is setting a new standard for what business can do in the world. Tim is unwavering in his support of an individual’s right to privacy and is not only embracing equality and LGBT rights but advocating for change through his words and actions. His commitment to renewable energy is also leaving our planet a little cleaner and a little greener for generations yet unborn."

While not included in the list himself, Apple design chief Jonathan Ive also wrote a piece on Airbnb founder and fellow designer Brian Chesky, describing him as a "travel revolutionary" that has created a new way to build community through his startup. "Brian Chesky’s audacity is fabulous. He dares to believe that we shouldn’t be strangers, that we can have a sense of true belonging whenever, wherever we travel."

Notable inclusions in the tech industry include YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun. Other highly recognizable names making the list include Emma Watson, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Hillary Clinton, Pope Francis, Tim McGraw and Vladimir Putin. Cook was also nominated for TIME's "Person of the Year" award in 2014.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iphone 17 cyber

iPhone 17 Demand Is Breaking Apple's Sales Records

Tuesday December 2, 2025 9:44 am PST by
Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC. Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to iPhone 17 demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple. Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Here Are the Four MacBooks Apple Is Expected to Launch Next Year

Monday December 1, 2025 5:00 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
chatgpt logo

Sam Altman Declares 'Code Red' for ChatGPT, Delays OpenAI Advertising Plans

Tuesday December 2, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
OpenAI is deprioritizing work on advertising as it focuses on improving the quality of ChatGPT, reports The Information. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a "code red" on Monday, and told employees that the company needs to improve ChatGPT so it doesn't fall behind competitors like Google and Anthropic. Altman said that OpenAI needs to work on personalization for each user, image generation,...

Top Rated Comments

Avatar74 Avatar
139 months ago
I think people are still underestimating the impact of his coming out while still an active CEO, and of the most admired company in the world.

I work for a rather large Silicon Valley company and our CEO has been very vocal about being an ally for the LGBT community.

People sometimes say "so what"? Well, it makes a huge difference in lives of people not in the majority when their corporate culture makes them feel welcome. It makes a difference to teens struggling with depression. It makes a difference to anyone who has felt the sting of what I like to call "otherism", the various manifestations of which I won't debate here.

We've seen celebrities, athletes and entertainers wait until past the prime of their career to come out when it would impact them the least... Tim Cook used the moment when the world's eyes were all focused on him running one of the most valuable companies to reach out and strengthen the bridge of understanding and acceptance in our society.

That alone makes him a great leader.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RogerWilco Avatar
139 months ago
Them that can, do (Jobs), them that can't make spectacles of themselves...

I'm sick of hearing about every CEO's pet project or their bedroom preferences. How about you get back to work Mr. Cook and start fixing the obvious decline in the utility of products that Apple offers? Ive is out of control, retail is in chaos, and the ongoing rot at the core of OS X has to stop.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jayducharme Avatar
139 months ago
His commitment to renewable energy is also leaving our planet a little cleaner and a little greener for generations yet unborn.

Let's see Samsung (and other companies) copy that!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Daalseth Avatar
139 months ago
--

As a father of three sons, I find your comments deeply disturbing. This whole "coming out" culture is as well satanic.
Dude, if one of your son's is gay then he already is. It's coded into his brain at birth as much as my being left handed was. It's not something that someone else can cause by publicly coming out. However if one of them is gay, TC being public about it might just give him the extra support he needs to keep going through what is still a difficult acceptance process.

Which will be made harder by his father rejecting him as "satanic".
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
doelcm82 Avatar
139 months ago
I'm sick of hearing about every CEO's pet project or their bedroom preferences. How about you get back to work Mr. Cook and start fixing the obvious decline in the utility of products that Apple offers? Ive is out of control, retail is in chaos, and the ongoing rot at the core of OS X has to stop.
Obviously you follow Tim Cook's bedroom preferences more closely than normal people do.

I don't have any idea what kind of pajamas he wears or what sort of sheets he has on his bed.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gasu E. Avatar
139 months ago
Sorry but how is Kim Kardashian influential? I can understand Emma Watson being in the list due to her recent "political" career but who does Kim Kardashian influence really?


Kim Kardashian has a tremendous influence on me. If she appears on TV, I am completely compelled to change the channel. Believe me, her power is unequaled.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)