Here’s How Much Tim Cook and Apple’s Top Execs Really Made Last Year

Apple has published its annual proxy filing for 2025, and buried inside the pages of legal language and footnotes is something everyone always wants to see.

The paychecks.

Every year, Apple discloses exactly how much its top leadership earned, including Tim Cook, CFO Kevan Parekh, General Counsel Kate Adams, COO Sabih Khan, former CFO Luca Maestri, and Retail and People SVP Deirdre O’Brien. And once again, the numbers are big, complicated, and mostly driven by stock.

Let’s break it all down.

Tim Cook’s 2025 Pay: $74,294,811

Apple says CEO Tim Cook earned a total of $74,294,811 in 2025, which was actually a very small decrease compared to the year before.

Here’s how that breaks down:

Salary: $3,000,000
Stock awards: $57,535,293
Non-equity incentive plan compensation: $12,000,000
All other compensation: $1,759,518

That $12 million bonus is tied to performance, with Apple stating it is based on the “performance of Apple relative to predetermined financial goals for the year.”

But the most interesting part is always the last line.

What Does $1.7 Million in “Other” Compensation Actually Mean?

Apple spells it out in detail. Tim Cook’s “all other compensation” includes:

(i) Apple’s contributions to Mr. Cook’s account under the 401(k) plan in the amount of $21,000;

(ii) term life insurance premiums paid by Apple in the amount of $2,964;

(iii) vacation cash-out in the amount of $57,692;

(iv) security expenses in the amount of $887,870, which represents the incremental cost to Apple for personal security services provided to Mr. Cook, as determined by allocating both direct costs and a percentage of fixed costs incurred by Apple and used to provide such personal security services; and

(v) personal air travel expenses in the amount of $789,991, which represent the incremental cost to Apple for Mr. Cook’s personal use of private aircraft based on hourly flight charges and other variable costs incurred by Apple for such use, including variable fuel charges, departure fees, and landing fees.

Apple also makes one thing very clear:

For security and efficiency reasons, the Board requires Mr. Cook to use private aircraft for all business and personal travel.

So yes, that nearly $800,000 in flights is not optional.

Cook’s Long-Term Plan

This isn’t just about how much Tim Cook earns. It’s also about what he plans to do with it.

Back in 2015, Cook revealed that he plans to give away all of his wealth during his lifetime, after paying for his nephew’s college education. His goal is to:

“develop a systematic approach to philanthropy rather than simply writing checks.”

Whether you view that as inspiring or ironic given the size of the checks Apple writes him, it’s been part of his public story for a decade now.

What Apple’s Other Top Execs Made

Tim Cook is the biggest line item, but Apple’s leadership bench is also extremely well paid. Here’s what the rest of the executive team earned in 2025.

CFO Kevan Parekh

Salary: $891,519
Stock awards: $18,433,135
Non-equity incentive plan compensation: $3,120,317
All other compensation: $22,338
Total: $22,467,309

General Counsel Kate Adams

Salary: $1,000,000
Stock awards: $22,009,766
Non-equity incentive plan compensation: $4,000,000
All other compensation: $22,482
Total: $27,032,248

COO Sabih Khan

Salary: $1,000,000
Stock awards: $22,009,766
Non-equity incentive plan compensation: $4,000,000
All other compensation: $21,905
Total: $27,031,671

Former CFO Luca Maestri

Salary: $819,231
Stock awards: $13,003,031
Non-equity incentive plan compensation: $1,638,462
All other compensation: $22,204
Total: $15,482,928

Retail and People SVP Deirdre O’Brien

Salary: $1,000,000
Stock awards: $22,009,766
Non-equity incentive plan compensation: $4,000,000
All other compensation: $37,867
Total: $27,047,633

The Real Story Behind These Numbers

The big takeaway isn’t just that Apple execs make a lot of money. That part is obvious.

The real story is how heavily Apple leans on stock awards. For Tim Cook, more than three quarters of his compensation comes from equity. For most of Apple’s senior leadership, it’s the same. Their fortunes rise and fall with Apple’s share price.

That’s intentional.

Apple isn’t paying its executives to manage a company. It’s paying them to grow one.

And in 2025, that model continues to deliver exactly what Apple’s board wants: leadership that is financially tied, very directly, to how well the company performs.

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Eric Sandler

Chief Writer at WiFi Planet

Eric Sandler is a veteran US tech writer with over 25 years of experience covering the latest advancements in the world of technology. From groundbreaking innovations to in-depth reviews, Eric has built a reputation for delivering insightful, reliable content. His work spans across a variety of tech topics, including smartphones, gadgets, AI, and more, making him a trusted voice in the industry.