苹果二把手，退休了

Core Viewpoint - The announcement of Jeff Williams stepping down as COO of Apple and his upcoming retirement raises questions about the future leadership of the company, especially regarding potential successors [1][3][4]. Group 1: Leadership Transition - Jeff Williams, who has served as COO for nearly a decade, will hand over his duties at the end of the month and retire by the end of the year [1]. - Williams has been viewed as a potential successor to CEO Tim Cook, but this notion is complicated by their similar ages and the nature of their long-term collaboration [4][6]. - The new COO, Sabih Khan, is also nearing sixty and has been with Apple for 30 years, indicating a trend of aging leadership within the company [6][7]. Group 2: Challenges Ahead - Khan will face significant challenges, including slowing iPhone sales, global regulatory scrutiny, and competition in the AI sector, which could impact Apple's product lines [7]. - The transition comes at a time when Apple's executive team is aging, with many members over sixty, prompting discussions about succession planning [8][9]. Group 3: Potential Successors - Internal discussions suggest that if Cook were to leave soon, John Ternus, the hardware engineering head, could be a leading candidate for CEO, although he faces criticism regarding his decisiveness and involvement in key projects [8][10]. - The company has a history of high-level executives retiring around the age of sixty, indicating that further leadership changes are likely in the near future [10].