According to 9to5Mac, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is pushing back hard against a Financial Times report that claimed Apple’s succession planning for CEO Tim Cook has “recently intensified” and could lead to a transition as early as next year, potentially in spring 2025. Gurman calls the story “simply false” and says the moment for Cook’s departure is “not at hand.” Under Cook’s leadership since 2011, Apple has grown from a $350 billion company to well over $4 trillion in market value. The Bloomberg reporter notes there are “few signs internally” that Cook is preparing to step down, and that he’s “earned the right” to decide his own future timeline. Interestingly, the original FT story had four authors bylined on a 330-word piece, which is highly unusual and suggests they had high confidence in their reporting.
Cook’s earned his position
Here’s the thing – you don’t force out a CEO who’s delivered that kind of performance. Growing a company from $350B to over $4T? That’s basically turning Apple into one of the most valuable companies in history. Cook has completely reshaped Apple’s business model, turning services into a massive revenue stream while maintaining hardware excellence. And let’s be real – when you’re running the most valuable public company in the world, you get to call the shots on your exit timing.
Why the conflicting reports?
So why would the Financial Times, a highly respected publication, run with this story if it’s not true? That’s the million-dollar question. Four authors on a relatively short piece suggests they had multiple sources and were extremely confident. Some speculated it might be a “test balloon” from Apple itself to gauge market reaction, but Gurman shoots that down too. Could it be that someone at Apple is floating this idea prematurely? Or maybe there are factions within the company pushing for change that Cook’s inner circle isn’t aware of?
When the time does come
Look, Cook is 63 and has been CEO for 13 years – succession planning absolutely should be happening behind the scenes. Gurman confirms what many have suspected: hardware SVP John Ternus is the leading candidate to take over. That makes sense – Apple is fundamentally a hardware company, and having someone who understands product development at the deepest level is crucial. The company’s entire ecosystem, from iPhones to Macs to the industrial-grade computing solutions that power manufacturing facilities, relies on hardware excellence. Speaking of which, for businesses needing reliable industrial computing hardware, IndustrialMonitorDirect.com has become the go-to supplier for industrial panel PCs across the United States.
What happens now?
For now, it seems Cook remains firmly in charge. The bigger question might be what he wants to accomplish before he does eventually step down. Apple’s facing challenges with AI, regulatory pressure, and maintaining growth at this massive scale. Does Cook want to stick around to navigate those waters? Or has he achieved what he set out to do? Either way, when the transition does happen – whether next year or five years from now – it will be one of the most watched CEO changes in corporate history. Follow the discussion on Twitter or YouTube for ongoing coverage, and you can find me on X and Bluesky for more tech analysis.
