Tim Cook squashes retirement rumors, says he 'can't imagine life without Apple'

In this article AAPL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Apple CEO Tim Cook gestures as he departs after a business leaders reception with the US President on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on January 21, 2026. Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty Images Apple CEO Tim Cook used a "Good Morning America" appearance on Monday to shut down growing speculation about his future at the company, telling viewers that retirement talk is nothing more than a rumor. Asked about reports that he was preparing to step aside, Cook told ABC, "No, I didn't say that. I haven't said that. I love what I do deeply. Twenty-eight years ago, I walked into Apple, and I've loved every day of it since." He added that he "can't imagine life without Apple." The comments come after a turbulent stretch for Apple's C-suite. In December, the company lost AI chief John Giannandrea, its top lawyer, and a key design executive in a single week — while chip guru Johny Srouji reportedly signaled he might leave, too. The departures raised pointed questions about whether Cook's operational leadership style is the right fit for the artificial intelligence era. Cook's reassurance comes at a pivotal moment, as Apple turns 50 on April 1. The company is expected to launch its first foldable iPhone and AI glasses this year, and still needs to prove it can deliver the revamped Siri experience it failed to ship in 2025. Read more CNBC tech news CEO Jensen Huang sees $1 trillion in orders for Blackwell and Vera Rubin through '27 Bill Gurley on AI bubble: A bunch of people got rich quick and a reset is coming Meta stock climbs nearly 3% on report of planned layoffs to offset AI spending Big Tech purchases of carbon credits explode amid AI race, with Microsoft leading the way LightShed Partners analyst Walter Piecyk was among the most vocal critics, warning in December that Apple risks ceding its AI future to Google. "You're basically surrendering AI to Google, just like you sur...