Apple's 2026 shareholders meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 24, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time, according to an SEC filing that was released today.
Apple shareholders of record as of January 2, 2026, can attend, vote, and submit questions during the meeting by logging in to Apple's virtual meeting website 15 minutes before it kicks off. A control number included in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that's provided to shareholders is required to join.
At the meeting, shareholders will vote to re-elect the company's board of directors, approve executive compensation, and ratify Ernst & Young LLP as Apple's public accounting firm. There will also be votes on shareholder proposals.
Notably, both board chairman Art Levinson (age 75) and board member Ron Sugar (age 77) are up for re-election, despite a company guideline stating that directors may generally not stand for re-election once they have reached the age of 75. Apple provided the following justification in its proxy statement:
Over the past four years, the Board has added three new members, representing over one-third of its membership, and two other, long-serving members retired. In the context of this year’s Annual Meeting nominations, the Board determined that it would be in the best interests of Apple and its shareholders to ask Art Levinson, the Chair of the Board, and Ron Sugar, the Chair of the Audit Committee, to stand for re-election, and to waive for each of them its guideline under which directors generally may not stand for re-election after attaining age 75. In making this determination, the Board considered several factors, including the significant experience and expertise that each of Dr. Levinson and Dr. Sugar brings to the Board, their deep insight into the Company’s business and operations, and their individual contributions as highly engaged members of the Board. The Board also considered the benefits of continuity among the Board’s leadership positions.
Levinson's re-nomination as chairman is notable due to recent speculation around Tim Cook's potential retirement as Apple CEO, a move that would likely see him shift into the board chairman position. It is possible that Levinson's continuation in the role beyond age 75 is intended to also serve as bridge to such time that Cook is ready to assume the chairman role, rather than selecting a new chairman for only a relatively brief time until Cook steps down as CEO.
