According to The Verge, recent rumors about Tim Cook stepping down as Apple CEO in 2026 and being replaced by John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, are completely false. Bloomberg’s Marc Gurman directly contradicted these reports, stating that while Apple is indeed preparing for Cook’s eventual retirement, the transition is unlikely to happen next year. Gurman specifically noted that unless an unexpected event forces Cook’s hand, the leadership change isn’t imminent. The reports had suggested Ternus was the likely successor, but the timing appears to be significantly off from what was being speculated.
The reality of Cook’s succession plan
Here’s the thing about CEO succession rumors at a company like Apple: they’re always floating around. But this particular batch seems to have gotten way ahead of itself. Gurman’s reporting suggests there’s a clear distinction between “planning for eventual retirement” and “retiring in 2026.” One is prudent corporate governance, the other is a specific timeline that apparently doesn’t exist.
And honestly, does anyone really believe Cook would step down during what might be Apple’s most challenging period in years? The company faces slowing iPhone sales in China, regulatory pressure on both sides of the Atlantic, and intense competition in the AI space. Now is exactly when you want continuity at the top, not a leadership transition.
Why Ternus still makes sense as successor
Look, the part about John Ternus being the likely successor actually tracks. He’s been with Apple since 2001 and currently oversees all hardware engineering, which is still the heart of Apple’s business. He’s been the public face of numerous product launches and has Cook’s apparent confidence.
But here’s what people might be missing: promoting a hardware executive to CEO in 2026 would be interesting timing. Apple is desperately trying to pivot toward services and AI, areas where hardware expertise might be less relevant. Then again, maybe that’s exactly why the timeline is longer than rumored – they want Ternus to get more exposure to those other parts of the business first.
Apple’s history with leadership transitions
Let’s not forget how Apple handles these things. When Steve Jobs stepped down, the transition was meticulously planned over years. Cook had been running day-to-day operations long before he officially took the CEO title. Apple doesn’t do sudden leadership changes unless forced to by circumstances.
Basically, if Cook were planning to retire in 2026, we’d be seeing much clearer signals by now. We’d see Ternus taking on more operational responsibilities, maybe overseeing services or software. The fact that we’re not seeing those moves tells you everything you need to know about the 2026 timeline being premature at best.
