Cupertino's boardroom is quietly buzzing with succession talk. Apple is actively preparing for Tim Cook's potential departure as CEO, with the transition possibly coming as early as January 2025, according to a new Financial Times report. After 13 years at the helm, Cook's exit would mark the end of an era that transformed Apple from a $350 billion company into a $4 trillion tech giant.
The whispers are getting louder in Cupertino. Apple's board isn't just thinking about succession planning anymore - they're actively preparing for it. The 65-year-old Tim Cook could step down as CEO as early as next year, with Financial Times sources suggesting the transition might happen right after Apple's earnings report in late January.
The timing isn't accidental. A January departure would give Cook's successor several months to get comfortable before Apple's biggest showcase events kick into gear. That means steering through the spring product refresh cycle and commanding the stage at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, where Apple traditionally unveils its software vision for the year ahead.
Cook's tenure tells the story of modern Apple's transformation. When Steve Jobs handed him the keys in August 2011, Apple was worth $350 billion. Today, it's flirting with $4 trillion in market cap - a more than 10x increase that few CEOs can claim. He's now officially served longer as Apple's chief executive than Jobs himself, a milestone that MacRumors noted earlier this year.
But Cook's Apple has hit some rough patches lately, particularly around artificial intelligence. While competitors like Microsoft and Google sprinted ahead with AI integration, Apple seemed to stumble. The company's AI strategy has felt scattered compared to the focused product launches that defined the iPhone and iPad eras. TechCrunch previously noted how Apple appeared to struggle finding the right AI direction, even as the technology reshaped the entire industry.
Enter John Ternus, the hardware engineering senior vice president who's reportedly the frontrunner for the top job. Ternus has been Cook's right hand on some of Apple's biggest hardware wins, from the M-series chip transition that left Intel in the dust to the recent Vision Pro launch. His engineering background mirrors Cook's operational expertise - both men climbed Apple's ranks through execution rather than the visionary product marketing that defined the Jobs era.
