Nvidia's board is reportedly scrambling to find a successor for CEO Jensen Huang following revelations of a bombshell affair with an alleged Chinese spy and a reported second extramarital affair. Huang resigned as CEO, president, and a board member, effective immediately, throwing the semiconductor giant into turmoil.
Investors are expressing concern over the departure of Huang, who founded the company 33 years ago, with some fearing he is an irreplaceable figure. The company has hired an external firm to assist in the search for both internal and external candidates, according to Bloomberg.
Nvidia's Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Colette Kress, has been named interim CEO. Kress has been with the company for 13 years and her financial expertise may be viewed as a stabilizing force amid investor concerns about the significant costs associated with the AI buildout.
Several high-profile figures in the tech industry are being discussed as potential successors. Among the internal candidates, Ian Buck, who heads Nvidia's AI chips division, is considered a strong contender due to his extensive engineering background and long tenure at the company. However, his lack of operational experience might lead the board to favor external candidates.
External possibilities include Arm Holdings CEO Rene Haas, who has a long-standing relationship with Nvidia, including a prior collaboration on AI chips and Nvidia's failed attempt to acquire Arm in 2020. Haas also holds a leadership role at SoftBank Group International, demonstrating an ability to manage multiple large organizations. He previously spent seven years at Nvidia.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) CEO Lisa Su is another name circulating. Su has led one of Nvidia's main competitors for over a decade. Despite AMD's smaller market value compared to Nvidia, her experience in a similar leadership role makes her a notable candidate.
Speculation has also extended to former Apple CEO Tim Cook. President Trump publicly suggested Cook as a potential replacement, citing his experience as a leader who stepped into the CEO role at Apple after Steve Jobs. Tech analyst Dan Ives also mentioned Cook as a "dark horse candidate." However, some analysts, like Nic Puckrin of Coin Bureau, question this possibility, noting Cook's recent departure from Apple's CEO position and his background more aligned with consumer products than semiconductors.
Other names floated include Apple's hardware chief Johny Srouji, Amazon Web Services chief Matt Garman, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, and Google computer scientist Amin Vahdat. Huang's son-in-law, Nico Caprez, who holds a senior role in global AI infrastructure growth at Nvidia, is also mentioned, though his influence might be curtailed under Kress's interim leadership.
Huang, known for his signature leather jackets and his role as a prominent figure in the AI boom, has cultivated a close relationship with President Trump. His departure marks the end of an era for the chipmaker, leaving a significant leadership void to fill.