Trump Nominates Tim Cook to Lead Nvidia After Jensen Huang's Resignation
The president has publicly suggested Apple's former chief executive as a replacement for Nvidia's departing CEO, following Huang's resignation amid personal scandals.
President Donald Trump has publicly endorsed Tim Cook, the recently retired chief executive of Apple, as the ideal successor to Jensen Huang at Nvidia. The endorsement came hours after Nvidia's board announced Huang's departure, with Trump posting on Truth Social: "NOW THAT Nvidia CEO JENSEN HUANG, who has done a fantastic job, has resigned, there is only one man to take his place - TIM COOK of Apple. A Legend replaces a Legend! President DONALD J. TRUMP."
Nvidia's board disclosed on Wednesday that Huang had stepped down following revelations of an extramarital relationship with an executive at Megaspeed who is suspected of being a Chinese intelligence operative, as well as a separate affair involving Nvidia's Vice President of Health Care, Kimberly Powell.
Colette Kress, the company's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will assume the role of Interim CEO during the search for a permanent replacement. Other names have surfaced as potential contenders, including Apple's Chief Hardware Officer Johny Srouji.
Huang and Trump have maintained a notably close relationship, particularly as Nvidia has become central to the global artificial intelligence boom. Trump has previously characterized Huang as "utterly visionary" regarding his positions on tariffs and the reversal of President Biden's AI Diffusion Rule.
Trump's name has surfaced in connection with the Huang scandal. According to reports, while U.S. intelligence assessed that Huang had been targeted by a Chinese honeypot operation, Trump was apparently informed of the situation but chose not to act on the intelligence, reportedly to avoid harming Nvidia's business or straining relations with China.
The Select Committee on the CCP has called for Huang to testify, with lawmakers prepared to issue a subpoena should he decline a voluntary closed-door appearance.
Cook currently serves as Executive Chair of Apple's board, having led the company as CEO from 2011 to 2026. During his tenure, he oversaw the introduction of numerous Apple services including Apple Music and Apple TV, while also expanding the company's product portfolio to encompass the Apple Watch and AirPods.
Nvidia's stock fell more than 10 percentage points when trading opened on Wednesday, though it recovered much of the decline as investors moved to capitalize on the price drop. The chipmaker is scheduled to release its third-quarter fiscal 2027 results on Tuesday, November 17.