Apple disclosed in its annual proxy statement released on January 8, 2026, that CEO Tim Cook’s total compensation for fiscal 2025 amounted to approximately $74.3 million, a minor decrease from $74.6 million in 2024.
The package breakdown includes:
• $3 million base salary (unchanged since 2016)
• $57.5 million in stock awards
• $12 million in performance-based cash incentives
• $1.76 million in other compensation, covering items such as 401(k) contributions, life insurance premiums, vacation cash-out, security costs, and personal air travel
Apple requires Cook to use private aircraft for all business and personal travel, citing efficiency and security reasons.
While the company targeted $59 million in compensation for Cook — the same as in 2024 — strong company performance drove higher incentive payouts, pushing his actual earnings above the target. This structure ties a significant portion of executive pay to Apple’s results and long-term shareholder value.
MacDailyNews Take: Can’t see what’s coming except – for fat checks and endless stock awards.
Yes, executive compensation is out of whack. Tim Cook is vastly overpaid for what he does. This is because he holds a rare skillset and it benefits the shareholders to have continuity in the CEO position. Basically, Apple overpays Tim Cook in order to have a long-term CEO which provides confidence to the market. A succession of different CEOs jumping from company to company every other year seeking higher salaries would be a negative and justifies Cook’s overpayment. Cook is paid to stay more than for what he actually does. This is why he has vesting targets set years into the future. If he stays, providing continuity, he benefits and so does the company’s stock price. — MacDailyNews, February 18, 2022
See also: Apple CEO Tim Cook among the most overpaid CEOs, study finds – February 17, 2023
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Cook would still be overpaid at half the income.
Yes, yes, yes, Cook has created tremendous wealth for its investors. Full disclosure, I’ve continuously owned Apple Stock for close to 30 years and have done quite well.
But no, Cook has not done a tremendous job for his customers. That’s the difference between Apple of the past and Apple of the current generation. The company used to exist to create insanely great products to empower its customers. Now, it exists to empower its investors. If you don’t understand the importance of that distinction, you will most likely strongly disagree with this post.
Cook has been the Captain of Iteration…while fawning to Wall Street and China.
Jobs built the company on invention and making very good profit along the way (margins under Job were hefty).
It’s always been about The Story to me. History books are FAR less likely to extoll a company that had high EPS, vs a company that was profitable AND made products that changed/greatly augmented a culture’s advance. Cook has been in EPS/Excel box and he’s done well very here. But, I don’t think it will be a surprise that history might ellucidate the actual “cost” he wrought by assisting an adversary with manufacturing prowess at scale. This has been reported, but it’s been taken–relatively–with a grain of salt.
An outsider deciding what a CEO is “worth” is folly. When at the helm of the richest company in the World (many yrs previously), it’s fair to say receiving a healthy portion of the haul is reasonable. The destruction of “The Story” is a much bigger concern, imo.