Trump Floats Tim Cook as a Possible Successor in Nvidia’s CEO Search

Donald Trump has thrown an unexpected name into Nvidia’s search for its next chief executive: Apple boss Tim Cook. The US president backed Cook in a social media post on Nov. 12, calling him the one man who could take the place of Jensen Huang and describing the prospect as one legend replacing another. Nvidia’s board says it is considering both internal and external candidates for the permanent role. The search follows the board’s split with Huang, while chief financial officer Colette Kress has been appointed interim CEO. The company has not announced a final choice. Cook’s name is one of several being weighed in public discussion. Traders on prediction market Polymarket reportedly ranked Nvidia executive Ian Buck as the leading possibility, followed by Kress, Arm CEO Rene Haas and Cook. The candidates bring different backgrounds to a company that has become a central player in the artificial-intelligence boom. Kress has served as Nvidia’s CFO since 2013, after earlier roles at Microsoft, Cisco and Texas Instruments. Analysts and investors cited in the report point to her financial experience, authority and Wall Street relationships as strengths for guiding the business during a turbulent leadership transition. A key question, should she take the permanent role, would be who provides the company’s technology vision. Buck joined Nvidia in 2004 and helped develop CUDA, the software platform that enabled broader computing uses for the company’s graphics processors. He now oversees AI hardware and software products and works closely with major customers. The report notes that investors may seek a leader able to anticipate where the fast-changing industry is headed. Haas also has Nvidia ties: he spent seven years there, rising to a vice-president role before joining Arm in 2013. He became Arm’s CEO in 2022 and later took on leadership of SoftBank’s international business. For now, Trump’s endorsement has added Cook to the conversation, but Nvidia’s board remains responsible for choosing its next leader.