A supposed Tim Cook retirement leak last year indicated that hardware head John Ternus was Apple's planned successor and that the announcement would be made ahead of WWDC 2026 in June. This was seen as a deliberate test of market reaction. The leaked information has now been confirmed to have been mirrored by the official announcement. The company's response to the announcement was positive, with the share price barely moving. It is possible that Cook may take an interim role as chairman or advisor to the board to further reassure investors.