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Tim Cook has been with Apple for an exceptionally long time, surpassing even Steve Jobs’ tenure at the helm. Cook, now 65 years old and just two years shy of the official government stipulated retirement age in the U.S., hasn’t given any signs of stepping down from his role anytime soon. However, reports indicate that plans for a successor have kicked into motion, and he could vacate his role next year.

The Financial Times stirred the market when it reported “its board and senior executives have recently intensified preparations” to find a successor for Cook. Citing insider sources, the outlet mentioned that a new CEO will likely be announced well ahead of Apple’s annual Fall launch event in 2026. John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice-president of hardware engineering, is said to be the frontrunner in the race to replace Cook as the new chief. Cook has rarely discussed his retirement plans publicly, and what little he has said, the message has been pretty vague.

In 2021, Cook said (via the New York Times) that he probably won’t be Apple’s CEO after a decade. “10 more years is a long time and probably not 10 more years.” But on the Table Manners podcast, he said that he won’t retire in a traditional sense. According to Bloomberg, though, “Unless there is some unexpected event that forces Cook to step down sooner than planned, that moment is not at hand.” But leaving the CEO’s role doesn’t mean Cook will exit the company where he has worked since 1998, especially when he has a vision for Apple.

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Over the past couple of years, and particularly within the AI boom, the situation at Apple has changed dramatically. The company’s apparent failure at capitalizing on the AI explosion, which has resulted in Siri looking like a laggard compared to rivals, has put a lot of heat on the company. John Giannandrea, Apple’s senior vice president for Machine Learning and AI Strategy, stepped down from his role in December in what was seen as an internal shakeup coming from afar. Two other Apple executives, Lisa Jackson and Kate Adams, also departed within a week.

Veteran Apple executive Jeff Williams is retiring from the company, while long-time finance chief Luca Maestri also stepped down in January 2025. According to Bloomberg, “the moment is ripe for a reset,” one that could reach all the way to the top. But the exit of top executives is not the full picture. Apple has lately faced a talent exodus to rival companies that has raised alarms. Veteran designer Alan Dye left for Meta in early December 2025. Abidur Chowdhury left shortly after Apple’s Fall event, where he introduced the iPhone Air’s design. Apple has lost numerous high-profile AI researchers, most of whom have landed at Meta, while a few have joined OpenAI.

These exits have complicated the situation for Cook and his eventual departure. Apple’s sales have been strong over the past few quarters despite missing the AI race, but looking ahead, the situation looks uncertain. Apple executives might want to retain Cook to keep sales strong, or he just might leave sooner for a new CEO to take over and catch up to the competition. For now, it’s hard to predict.