Apple COO Tim Cook was decided Wednesday as an incentive for succession while Jobs was on medical leave from January to June 2009, according to an SEC filing ready by the company Friday.

The Apple board's compensation committee "generally accepted a advice by Steve Jobs" to award Cook a one-time $5 million bonus and 75,000 limited stock units as a thank you for "his outstanding performance," the filing reads.

Cook's giving bonus clearly reveals his value both to Apple and to his boss. Jobs has taken time to admire Cook for the work he did while Jobs was treatment to his health last year, thanking him at public product unveilings and at the most latest Apple shareholder meeting.
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Even as Jobs was out, Apple delivered two back-to-back blows-out quarters and an updated iPhone Operating System, and new iPhone 3GS hardware. Under Cook, Apple also put the finishing touches on the company's new iPods, MacBooks, and Mac Operating System, which were launched soon after Jobs' return to the helm in late June.