The tech world delivered plenty of intrigue this week, from CEO succession rumors to major shifts in consumer finance. Here's what happened in the world of Apple and beyond.

The Next Apple CEO Might Already Be Running Your Favorite Products

Tim Cook has been steering Apple Inc. (AAPL) for more than a decade now, but succession planning never sleeps at a company this valuable. Reports this week pointed to John Ternus, Apple's head of hardware engineering, as the leading candidate to eventually take Cook's place.

Ternus isn't exactly new to the Apple universe. He's been there for over 25 years, quietly working behind the scenes on products you definitely know about—including the iPhone and the still-anticipated foldable iPhone. When you've spent a quarter-century building the hardware that defines a company, you're probably on the short list for the top job.

Tim Cook's Compensation Could Buy Nearly 93,000 iPhones

Speaking of Cook, let's talk about his paycheck. The Apple CEO remained among the highest-paid executives in 2024, and while his 2025 compensation package saw a slight dip, it's still eye-watering. According to a recent filing from Apple, Cook could theoretically buy 92,984 iPhone 17s with his 2025 pay. The news comes as Apple's stock performance lagged behind several major market indexes for the year, making the compensation figure all the more notable.

JPMorgan Grabs the Apple Card and Tightens Its Credit Card Stranglehold

In one of the week's biggest moves, Apple selected JPMorgan Chase (JPM) as the new issuer of the Apple Card, taking the business away from Goldman Sachs (GS). This deal fundamentally reshapes the consumer finance strategies of all three companies involved.

For JPMorgan Chase, it's a massive win. The bank's already enormous credit card operation just got bigger, with more than $20 billion in Apple Card balances migrating onto Chase's platform. For Goldman Sachs, it's a retreat from consumer banking ambitions that haven't quite worked out as planned. And for Apple, it's a new partnership with a bank that actually specializes in credit cards at scale.

A Senator Sold Apple, Google, and Microsoft But Kept One Mag7 Laggard

Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) disclosed the sale of three Magnificent Seven stocks in December. She dumped shares of Apple, Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) (GOOGL), and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT). But here's the interesting part: she held onto another Mag7 stock that's been underperforming the group. The disclosure comes at a time when congressional trading activity faces intense scrutiny from investors and the public alike.

Foxconn's Record Quarter Is Good News for Nvidia and Apple

Foxconn Technology Group (HNHAF) (HNHPF), the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, delivered a monster fourth quarter that has implications far beyond its own balance sheet. The company reported revenue of NTD 2.6 trillion, or roughly $82.7 billion, representing a 22% jump year-over-year.

Gene Munster flagged this as a positive signal for both Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) and Apple. The record performance was driven by surging artificial intelligence demand, which bodes well for Nvidia's chip business and Apple's hardware sales. When the company that manufactures much of the world's tech hardware posts numbers like this, it tells you something about underlying demand in the sector.