Eddy Cue: Apple’s Unseen Powerhouse
Eddy Cue quietly became the most powerful executive at Apple, a position that surpasses even the new CEO. While Phil Schiller’s departure from the App Store made headlines, the real shift in power lies beneath.
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg revealed a significant reshuffle on Monday, hours before John Ternus took over as CEO. Apple has yet to announce these changes officially, and declined to comment.
A Tapestry of Expansion
Cue already headed services, but his influence has grown exponentially. He now oversees the App Store, Apple Arcade, and Health—acquisitions made possible by the departure of others. This expansion happened gradually, each new responsibility attached to a departing executive.
What Changed and Who’s Involved:
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App Store: Returned to the division that managed it until 2015 when Schiller took over. Cue takes it back at a pivotal moment, as the store faces increased legal pressure and worth more than ever. Carson Oliver leads day-to-day operations, reporting directly to Cue.
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Events: Nola Weinstein, Schiller’s deputy on launches since 2023, now leads this team, reporting to Kristin Huguet Quayle, Apple’s vice president of communications and public relations. This move marks a return to the press office, as events previously fell under marketing.
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Other Departures: Apple has lost several key executives recently, including Jeff Williams (COO), Dan Riccio (hardware), Luca Maestri (finance), Lisa Jackson (environment & government affairs), Kate Adams (general counsel), Jennifer Bailey (Apple Pay), and Paul Meade (Vision Pro hardware).
The Scale of Cue’s Empire
Services, led by Cue, generated over $109bn in Apple’s last financial year—a quarter of the company’s total revenue. The App Store alone facilitated more than $1.4tn in transactions last year, with direct revenue estimated at over $30bn annually (according to Bloomberg).
Jacob Eiting from RevenueCat highlights the scale: Schiller joined the App Store when it had no apps or revenue; now, it pays developers around $100bn a year.
Cue’s rise is remarkable given the departure of so many senior executives who once shared power at Apple.