Apple has reportedly been fishing around for a new chief finance officer, even though the iPhone and Mac vendor has strongly denied it is mulling a replacement for its current top bean counter.

According to Bloomberg, which cites sources familiar with the situation, Apple asked Blackstone Group's finance boss Laurence Tosi to take on the CFO role at Cupertino.

He declined the move, but if the report is accurate, then the Tosi approach suggests that Apple wants to kick Peter Oppenheimer, who has worked at the firm since 1996, out of the CFO chair.

"Peter is not leaving Apple," Apple spokesman Steve Dowling told Bloomberg. "We are not conducting a CFO search. He loves the company and is extremely happy in his role." ®

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