The latest tremors came when Apple announced chief operating officer Jeff Williams would retire by yearend after 27 years. Just a day before, the company’s top AI executive, Ruoming Pang, had left to join Meta, and weeks earlier, another high-level AI researcher, Tom Gunter, had also left. The image of a leadership exodus was forming.

With no clear successor and no signs of a grooming process underway, Cook’s grip on Apple seems likely to last well into the next decade. According to the report, the board — stacked with loyalists like Arthur Levinson and Ronald Sugar — sees no reason to change what they still believe works.

Tim Cook has effectively led Apple, achieving significant sales milestones, particularly with the iPhone. However, recent analyses suggest that the company may require a product-focused CEO to enhance its position in the competitive AI landscape.