In brief

• Jensen Huang resigned as Nvidia CEO on November 12, 2026, after reports of relationships, one involving a suspected Chinese spy.
• CFO Colette Kress is interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent successor.
• Trump publicly suggested former Apple CEO Tim Cook as a replacement.
• Nvidia shares fell more than 11 percent in the week of the announcement.

Huang's exit and the interim arrangement

Nvidia's chief financial officer, Colette Kress, has taken over the top job on an interim basis (Donald Trump really wants Tim Cook to run Nvidia – The Verge) (Trump Wants Tim Apple to Replace Jensen Huang as Nvidia CEO – Gizmodo). The company's shares fell more than 11 percent in the week of the announcement (Jensen Huang Resigns From Nvidia—Trump Says Tim Cook Should Replace Him – Forbes).

Trump's suggestion of Tim Cook

President Donald Trump publicly proposed Apple's former chief executive, Tim Cook, as Huang's replacement, calling it a swap of one "legend" for another. Cook stepped down as Apple's CEO on September 1 and moved into an executive chairman role. It is unclear whether Trump had spoken with Cook before making the suggestion. Trump also said Huang had called him to express regret over the effect of the scandal on his family (Trump Says Jensen Huang Is 'Going Through Hell' After Nvidia Exit—Touts Tim Cook As Replacement Again – Forbes).

Market reaction

Nvidia shares were down about 5 percent in afternoon trading on Thursday, well below their early-morning levels (Who will replace Jensen Huang? Here's our early thoughts on the search for Nvidia's next CEO – CNBC). The broader S&P 500 slipped roughly 0.25 percent over the same session, with the information technology sector among the weaker groups. Bond yields rose after a hot consumer price index report earlier in the week.

Open questions for the board

No permanent successor has been named, and the search is at an early stage. Financial Times reporting has profiled several internal and external contenders to succeed Huang, but the details sit behind a paywall (Meet the contenders to succeed Jensen Huang – Financial Times). Whether the board will look inside the company or recruit from outside has not been settled.

Share price and investor questions

Investors are weighing how much the leadership change will affect Nvidia's chip business, which remains central to the AI hardware market. Trade tensions with China, which have touched Nvidia's sales, add to the uncertainty over the company's direction.

Read also

• Jensen Huang Steps Down as Nvidia CEO After Affair Reports; CFO Colette Kress Named Interim Chief