Tim Cook has been leading Apple since 2011, when he took over as CEO from Steve Jobs. Since then, Cook has continued to grow the tech giant with new products and services. Recently, reports emerged that he is planning to vacate his post early next year, while his successor is already in place. However, according to Bloomberg, Tim Cook will remain as Apple chief for the near future.

Cook turns 65 this month and has been Apple’s chief for more than a decade. Still, the report emphasizes that there is no concrete evidence that Tim is planning to step down. Earlier, the Financial Times reported that John Ternes, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, will be the person who will likely be appointed as the new Apple CEO in mid-2026.

It was speculated that the earlier reports could be a way for Apple to test the waters on a potential replacement for Cook. However, the new report calls this simply a false story.

John Ternes can replace Tim Cook, not yet

According to the report, such a sudden leadership change will be no less than a ‘shock’. However, it is believed that Ternes is a possible candidate to replace Tim Cook in the future.

John Ternes is the youngest member of Apple’s executive team, and may be the best choice for the long term. He is also credited with creating some of Apple’s most iconic products, including the latest generation iPhones, iPads, and AirPods. Given that Cook has led the company for more than a decade, Turnus could have a similar tenure, but it seems that such a scenario is still a few years away.

Even if Tim Cook steps down as CEO, he will still remain there

Tim Cook’s leadership is widely credited for Apple’s extraordinary growth and stability following the death of Steve Jobs. Even when Cook eventually retires as CEO, there are expectations that he will likely stay on as chairman. Furthermore, unless something unexpected happens at Apple, there doesn’t seem to be any real timeline for when Tim might eventually step down as CEO.