In 1998, Steve Jobs convinced a 37-year-old Tim Cook to join near-bankrupt Apple, here's the 'story' he told to make him leave world's biggest PC company

Tim Cook concluded his 15-year tenure as Apple’s CEO on August 31, 2026, transitioning to executive chairman of the board effective September 1, 2026. John Ternus, formerly senior vice president of hardware engineering, has officially taken the helm of the company. While Cook leaves behind an era defined by monumental commercial success, his beginnings at the company were far more modest. Back in early 1998, Apple was on the edge of financial collapse, struggling with plunging staff morale, and widely viewed as an undesirable employer across Silicon Valley. Yet, Steve Jobs managed to convince a 37-year-old rising executive to walk away from Compaq, which was then the global leader in personal computer sales, and join the struggling company.Before making the leap, Cook had built an extensive corporate resume, spending 12 years at IBM alongside key executive roles at Intelligent Electronics and Compaq. While Cook had repeatedly rejected outreach from Apple's recruitment team, he eventually agreed to a face-to-face sit-down with Jobs. Cook later explained to Charlie Rose in 2014 that he felt compelled to meet the person who had essentially built the modern computing industry and was pursuing a distinctive vision.Steve Jobs’ vision of the iMac G3During their introductory discussion, Jobs reportedly laid out his roadmap to revitalise Apple, describing an upcoming computer concept designed to upend the entire PC landscape. CNBC reported that Jobs shared preliminary details of a hardware design unlike anything on the market. The concept later materialised as the iMac G3, the vibrant, translucent computer that turned designer Jony Ive into an industry star.Cook walked away from the encounter fascinated by the design and convinced that collaborating alongside Jobs would represent the privilege of a lifetime.Tim Cook ignored ‘career advice’ from peersTaking the role required Cook to defy the advice of his closest peers and all conventional logic. Reflecting on the decision during his 2010 Auburn University commencement address, Cook noted that any logical cost-benefit evaluation favoured staying at Compaq. One chief executive even warned Cook that leaving the market leader for Apple would be foolish.Cook believed that following the crowd was a mistake. Recognizing the deep operational challenges facing Apple, he decided he could make a meaningful impact and trusted his intuition over traditional career calculations.Apple hired Tim Cook in March 1998In March 1998, Jobs formally appointed Cook as senior vice president of worldwide operations, providing him a base compensation of $400,000 alongside a $500,000 signing bonus. Cook took charge of completely overhauling Apple’s supply chain, manufacturing systems and global distribution.Cook’s procurement and operations background proved to be an ideal match for Apple's recovery and for Jobs' management approach. Speaking to biographer Walter Isaacson for the book Steve Jobs, the late Apple co-founder reflected on their dynamic:“He had the same vision I did. We could interact at a high strategic level, and I could just forget about a lot of things unless he came and pinged me.”Get the latest technology news and updates. Download the TOI App.