- Apple's Tim Cook said his departure from Apple is coming up more often in conversations.
- Cook, who has been CEO since 2011, said, "It's a privilege of a lifetime to be here."
- He's previously said he'd like the next CEO to come from within Apple.
Apple CEO Tim Cook says his retirement is becoming a hotter topic as he gets older.
Cook, 64, has had the top job at Apple since 2011. For much of his tenure, he's been asked about his predecessor, the late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, but there's been a shift to questions about who will succeed him as CEO.
During a Q&A session with Wired editor at large Steven Levy, Cook said he's being asked how much longer he'll be CEO "now more than I used to."
"It's a privilege of a lifetime to be here. And I'll do it until the voice in my head says, 'It's time,' and then I'll go and focus on what the next chapter looks like," he said.
Cook has worked at Apple since 1998. He's seen it through periods of uncertainty as well as big moments like the release of the iPhone and hitting a $3 trillion market cap. He told Levy his "life has been wrapped up in this company."
"It's the overwhelming majority of my adult life. And so I love it," Cook said.
Although Apple hasn't made any official declarations about Cook's retirement, several top Apple execs have been mentioned as possible successors.
John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering at Apple, and chief operating officer Jeff Williams are potential frontrunners to take the helm, Bloomberg reported.
Company insiders reportedly told Bloomberg that Cook's retirement is at least three years off. When it does come, Cook previously said that he wants it to be an internal hire.
"I really want the person to come from within Apple," Cook told pop star Dua Lipa on an episode of her podcast "At Your Service" in November 2023.
As for what comes after his retirement, Cook told Levy it's ultimately "up to others to determine" Apple's legacy. He has his vision for what that will be.
"Apple will be remembered for delivering great products that changed the world, that really improved people's lives," he said.