Can the Giants Outgrow Their Legends?

Three American business icons. Three leadership transitions. Three very different succession stories.

🍎 Apple — John Ternus

Ternus officially became CEO on September 1, succeeding Tim Cook. He comes from Apple’s hardware engineering organisation, so the big question is whether Apple can keep its product momentum while navigating the next phase of AI and devices. 

🏦 Berkshire Hathaway — Greg Abel

This is arguably the biggest succession test of all. Warren Buffett is now chairman emeritus, while Greg Abel runs Berkshire. Buffett has said Abel has already been making the key decisions for some time. 

🛒 Walmart — John Furner

Furner took over from Doug McMillon after spending decades inside Walmart. He previously ran Walmart U.S. and has experience across stores, merchandising, digital and supply chain. 

What makes this fascinating is that none of these companies necessarily needs a dramatic transformation.

The real challenge may be preserving what already works while adapting to what comes next.

Apple needs to keep innovating.

Berkshire needs disciplined capital allocation.

Walmart needs to keep winning on scale, price and technology.

So rather than asking which CEO is “better”, I’m more interested in which succession proves the hardest to execute successfully.

💬 Which transition are you watching most closely?

A. 🍎 Apple — Ternus

B. 🏦 Berkshire — Abel

C. 🛒 Walmart — Furner

D. 👀 All three — succession risk is underrated

The interesting part may not be the first year under a new CEO — it could be what these companies look like five years later.