Nvidia's board has stated clearly that it will consider both internal and external candidates for the permanent CEO position. Reports and experts believe that the winner will be someone who understands the company inside and out.

Is Cook the right fit?

Nvidia's board made a historic decision late Thursday night. Jensen Huang, who led the company for 33 years, abruptly resigned. The board appointed CFO Colette Kress as interim CEO. Discussions are now rife for a new CEO, but US President Donald Trump has added a political twist to the matter by suggesting Tim Cook.

After all, who will be the one to take charge of this AI giant?

Former SEC Chairman Gary Gensler told CNN that Nvidia's board was "not presenting a good picture of corporate governance" because the company lacked an independent chairperson. To address this shortcoming, the board appointed technology investor and former Synopsys CEO Harvey Jones as the company's first board chairperson.

The two strongest internal contenders in the CEO race

Nvidia's board has stated that it will consider both internal and external candidates for the permanent CEO position. Reports and experts believe that the winner will be someone who understands the company from within. According to Reuters, two names are leading the race: Ian Buck and Colette Kress.

Ian Buck: The original engineer behind Nvidia

Ian Buck is considered the strongest long-term internal candidate. He is Nvidia's Vice President and General Manager of the Hyperscale and High-Performance Computing business. He played a key role in the development of the CUDA software platform, which makes Nvidia's chips essential for AI.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, this position is more likely to go to a 'technological leader' and Buck best fits this criteria.

Colette Kress: 'Captain' for now, but will she be permanent?

Colette Kress is currently the interim CEO and CFO. She has led Nvidia's finance team since 2013 and has accompanied Huang on every earnings call, so the market knows her well. Board Chair Harvey Jones has also praised her deep understanding of the company and customers.

According to a report in The Information, he is not seen as a long-term solution because his background is in finance, not engineering. Nvidia currently needs a leader with a deep understanding of technology.

Outside contenders: from rival to family

• René Haas, CEO of Arm Holdings: The strongest external candidate. He previously worked at Nvidia for seven years and is now CEO of British chip designer Arm. He has both industry experience and public-facing skills, which are essential for a struggling company.
• Lisa Su, CEO of AMD: The CEO of AMD, Nvidia's biggest rival, is also being discussed. Interestingly, she and Huang were both born in Taiwan, and a Taiwanese genealogy expert has described them as "first cousins ​​once removed." Since AMD is a direct competitor to Nvidia, this move could be difficult.
• Huang's family: Huang's daughter, Madison Huang (35), is the senior director of product marketing, and his son-in-law, Nico Caprese, was appointed vice president of global AI infrastructure growth in January. According to The Information, Huang was grooming them for the "next step." Huang's son, Spencer, also works in the company's robotics division. However, these names are currently considered speculation.

Why did Trump suggest Tim Cook's name?

Trump posted on Truth Social, writing, "Now that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who has done a fantastic job, has resigned, there's only one man to replace him: Apple's Tim Cook. Replacing one legend with another!" According to experts, there are three major reasons behind this suggestion:

• Personal closeness: Trump and Cook have had a good relationship for years. Trump himself has said that he finds Cook a "great candidate." Sean Cole, president of the executive-search firm Cowen Partners, believes Trump's choice stemmed more from their personal relationship than a broad assessment.
• Reassuring the market of stability: Trump views Nvidia as "crucial" to the US economy and his government's AI ambitions. He feared that Huang's departure could lead to a significant stock market decline. By naming a well-known face, he wanted to signal to the market that the company would remain in strong hands.
• Stance on Huang's 'scandal': Trump said that he spoke with Huang and felt he was "going through hell" and was most worried about his family. He also said that if the woman had not been found to be a spy, the situation might have been different. This means that Trump did not appear to favor strict action against Huang. By suggesting Cook's name, he suggested a "soft exit."

But is Cook the right fit?

Industry experts don't believe so. Patrick Moorhead, CEO of Moor Insights & Strategy, said, "Tim Cook is one of the best operators in tech and a perfect fit for Nvidia. Apple sells products to consumers. Nvidia's CEO is the chief architect of a roadmap on which customers are betting billions of dollars."

Tim Cook stepped down as Apple's CEO this year, and it's unclear whether he'd like to take on such a significant responsibility again.

How deep is the impact on the market?

News of Huang's resignation sent Nvidia shares plummeting. According to Bloomberg, shares fell as much as 14% in early trading, sending the company's market cap below $4 trillion for the first time since 2025. This represents a loss of approximately $601 billion in assets.

Had this level held at closing, it would have been the largest single-day market cap drop for any stock in history. Shares ended the day down nearly 4%, as the market viewed the appointment of an interim CEO and the board's stance as some relief.

For Nvidia, it's a question of survival, not succession.

Jensen Huang wasn't just a CEO. He was the face and voice of Nvidia. The board's biggest challenge was to bring in someone who was technically strong but also capable of maintaining the company's credibility with the market and government agencies.

Trump's nomination of Tim Cook is a political statement, but the real decision for Nvidia's board will be based on technology and business, not just friendship. For now, all eyes are on the board's next move.