Apple(US:AAPL) 智通财经网·2025-11-16 02:05Core Viewpoint - Tim Cook may step down as Apple's CEO as early as next year after 14 years in the role, with John Ternus, the current Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, being the most likely successor [1][2] Group 1: Leadership Transition - John Ternus has been with Apple since 2001 and has played a significant role in the engineering design of nearly all major hardware products [1] - Apple typically announces major personnel changes after its January earnings report, allowing new management to acclimate before key events like WWDC and the iPhone launch [1] - The succession plan has been in place for some time and is not related to Apple's current business performance [1] Group 2: AI Strategy and Challenges - Apple has lagged behind competitors like Meta, Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft in AI investments and lacks a clear AI strategy, which has drawn criticism from analysts [1][2] - Despite a budget of "billions" approved for a self-developed cloud model by 2026, Apple is still evaluating whether to adopt OpenAI or Anthropic models for the new Siri [2] - Key AI executives have left Apple this year, with many joining Meta, including Ruoming Pang, who led Apple's foundational model and core generative AI team [2] Group 3: Company Growth and Market Position - Under Tim Cook's leadership, Apple's market value has grown from $350 billion to $4 trillion since he took over in 2011 [2] - Apple became the first publicly traded company to surpass a $1 trillion market cap in 2018 and reached $3 trillion in 2022 [2] Group 4: Internal Succession Preference - The next CEO is likely to be chosen from within Apple, as Cook has indicated a preference for internal candidates and has established a detailed succession plan [3]