Tim Cook could step down as Apple CEO as early as next year — and this is the front-runner to replace him

The iPhone 17 series is out in the wild and seemingly doing well. But over at Apple, change could be afoot, as new reports have emerged claiming that long-time CEO Tim Cook could step down as soon as next year.

There doesn't appear to be an internal issue with Cook's leadership, as the company has seen record-smashing profits under his tenure. However, according to a report from the Financial Times, the 66-year-old leader of Apple may be considering stepping down from his post atop one of the biggest companies in tech.

At Apple's helm for 14 years, Cook has seen his share of success. The company literally generated trillions of dollars in revenue during his time as CEO. Cook took over after Steve Jobs' passing, and he's maintained the role ever since.

However, with talk of Cook stepping down, rumors of who might step up start flooding the internet. There are big potential names who could take over Apple when the Cook era ends, ranging from hardware leads to marketing heads.

Potential Tim Cook Successors

While Apple has not officially announced a succession plan publicly, that hasn't stopped speculation and rumors from circulating. We've heard rumblings of several notable figures within the company.

One name is Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, whom we spoke with at WWDC. In fact, Federighi was long considered the front-runner to take over, but those plans appear to have changed recently (though with his accomplishments in the software and OS space, he could move to the front again).

Then again, not everyone loves iOS 26 and its Liquid Glass interface.

Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer, was also a potential CEO successor. However, he's retiring from his role, which takes him out of the running. At only three years younger than Cook, he may not have been the best fit if Apple is looking to get another long run out of its next CEO.

However, one name has now moved to the front of the list according to the Financial Times report: John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, who sat down with our own Mark Spoonauer for an interview.

Who is John Ternus, the current front-runner?

John Ternus taking the seat would seem to indicate a hardware and engineering innovation-focused direction for Apple, which would be smart, as many have accused the firm of moving toward more incremental upgrades in recent years.

Additionally, Ternus is the youngest top executive at the company at 50 years old, which could give him a long tenure (assuming things go well under his direction).

Ternus started at Apple 24 years ago and rose through the ranks of the company, entering a leadership position in 2013 and assuming his current senior vice president role in 2022.

He also unveiled the M1 chip, Apple's first in-house silicon in 2020, and the iPhone Air in 2025. Clearly, the company already sees Ternus as well-equipped to get on stage and show off Apple's new products — a pivotal part of being Apple's CEO.

In fact, a 2024 Bloomberg report claimed that Cook said Ternus could “give a good presentation.” The report said he's also "very mild-mannered, never puts anything into an email that is controversial and is a very reticent decision-maker."

Of course, this is all assuming that Cook steps down next year. If he decides to head the company for longer, these plans could shift as other executives move through the ranks and make their mark. It's almost like watching a season of "Succession" from the outside.

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