Tim Cook may leave Apple next year; who will succeed him?

Business Nov 17, 2025

Big changes might be coming to Apple soon—Tim Cook could reportedly step down as CEO as early as next year, just before the company's 50th anniversary.
The frontrunner to take his place is John Ternus, who currently leads hardware engineering and has played a huge part in Apple's shift to custom chips.

Who is John Ternus, and what could change?

Ternus has been with Apple since 2001 and helped shape products like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
He's known for being detail-oriented and driving innovation behind the scenes.
If he becomes CEO, expect Apple to keep pushing into new tech like AI and spatial computing while staying true to its focus on cutting-edge hardware.