Big Technology Podcast Tim Cook’s Final Year?, Big Tech Horse Race, Anthropic’s Profitability Push
130 snips
Dec 1, 2025 
M.G. Siegler, a general partner at Spyglass and former tech blogger, joins the discussion on Tim Cook's potential retirement in 2026 and his legacy at Apple. They explore the implications of succession chatter, debating possible candidates like Jeff Williams and John Ternus. The conversation shifts to the fierce competition among Big Tech, highlighting the AI race, particularly the contrasting profitability strategies of Anthropic and OpenAI, and what it means for future market dynamics.
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Cook Could Quit At Peak
- Tim Cook could time a planned exit to coincide with Apple's peak performance to protect his legacy.
- M.G. Siegler and Alex Kantrowitz see succession planning ramping with Cook possibly becoming chairman rather than fully leaving.
FT Story Signals Real Succession Moves
- The FT's multi-reporter piece suggests real internal movement on Apple's succession planning.
- Alex thinks the COO's departure may mirror Amazon's pre-succession signals and points to a possible Q1 2026 transition.
Hardware Alone Won't Secure The Future
- Future Apple leadership must balance continued hardware excellence with services and AI.
- Alex and M.G. debate whether an Apple lifer like John Ternus or an external hire is better suited to lead that shift.