In his most recent newsletter, well - known Apple insider Mark Gurman emphatically refuted the rumors suggesting that Apple's CEO Tim Cook would step down in the first half of the coming year. He mentioned that, drawing on information he's accumulated over the past few weeks, it's highly improbable that Cook will vacate his post prior to June next year. Around two weeks prior, whispers began to circulate, claiming that Cook would resign sometime between the end of January and June next year, conveniently aligning with the annual developer conference. However, Gurman swiftly debunked these reports, branding them as completely baseless. Gurman also shed light on the fact that OpenAI is on an aggressive talent - poaching spree, specifically targeting Apple employees. In just the past month alone, over 40 individuals from Apple's hardware engineering team have been lured away. These recruits come from a diverse range of fields, including camera engineering, iPhone hardware, Mac hardware, and chip - related sectors. This has sparked considerable discontent within Apple. Moreover, John Ternus, Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, is widely regarded as the frontrunner to take over from Cook when the time comes.