11 names to watch in the Jensen Huang succession search
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Nvidia has begun searching for a permanent replacement for longtime CEO Jensen Huang, who resigned Thursday amid scrutiny over reports of multiple extramarital affairs.
Why it matters: Nvidia's next leader will inherit one of the world's most valuable companies — and the daunting task of succeeding the pioneer who transformed it into an AI powerhouse.
- The job will require as much political savvy as technological expertise, Axios' Nathan Bomey says. The next CEO must navigate regulatory scrutiny, geopolitical tensions and the economic upheaval unleashed by the AI boom.
Catch up quick: Nvidia announced Thursday that CFO Colette Kress would serve as interim CEO following Huang's departure.
- The board said it would consider both internal and external candidates. Longtime director Harvey Jones was appointed Nvidia's first-ever board chair following Huang's departure.
Reality check: Huang never publicly named a successor, leaving investors and analysts to speculate about who could take the helm.
- In an October Bloomberg interview released Thursday, Huang said he hoped Nvidia's next CEO was already working at the company.
Here are 11 names that have surfaced in reporting and speculation — from leading contenders to long shots.
Colette Kress
Kress could stay on permanently, with analysts and investors viewing her as a leading contender because of her financial expertise, per Reuters. Nvidia's new board chair, Harvey Jones, praised Kress for her deep understanding of the company's business and customers.
- Kress has represented Nvidia on investor calls for more than a decade, making her one of the company's most recognizable executives.
- She's also the only person, aside from Huang, who had much visibility across the company, according to Axios' Ina Fried. Huang had several dozen direct reports, many of whom oversaw relatively narrow parts of the business.
Yes, but: Her finance background could raise doubts about whether she could match Huang's technological prowess.
Ian Buck
Buck is among the potential successors drawing attention from analysts and investors, Reuters reported, given his engineering expertise and prominent position inside Nvidia.
- He currently serves as Nvidia's vice president and general manager of hyperscale and high-performance computing.
- He also helped develop CUDA, Nvidia's computing platform that made its graphics processors essential to modern AI development.
Chris Malachowsky
Malachowsky co-founded Nvidia with Huang in 1993 and helped shape the company's technology over the next three decades, according to his Nvidia bio page.
- "Malachowsky has been instrumental in managing, defining and driving the company's core technologies as it has grown from a startup to the global leader in accelerated computing," the page reads.
- Much of his background is in engineering and technical leadership.
Yes, but: His role today is less focused on day-to-day company management, raising questions about whether he would want to assume the CEO position.
René Haas
Haas, the CEO of British chip designer Arm Holdings, has emerged as an outside contender because of his chip industry experience and previous work at Nvidia, per multiple reports.
- He's a former Nvidia executive who has the public-facing skills that may be required as Nvidia faces heavy scrutiny from investors and government probes.
- Nvidia uses Arm's processor technology in some products.
Flashback: Nvidia previously tried to acquire Arm in a $40 billion deal, but the companies abandoned the transaction in 2022 amid significant regulatory opposition.
Tim Cook
Former Apple CEO Tim Cook's name entered the succession conversation Thursday after President Trump publicly suggested he take over Nvidia.
- Cook's high profile and experience running one of the world's largest technology companies have fueled speculation that he could be a dark horse.
- Cook has also been mentioned in prediction market speculation.
Yes, but: It's unclear whether Cook would want the job after recently stepping down as Apple's CEO.
Johny Srouji
Bloomberg has identified Srouji, Apple's chief hardware officer, as another potential successor.
- Before that, he led the development of Apple's custom chips for the iPhone, Mac and other Apple devices.
Nikesh Arora
Arora, the CEO of Palo Alto Networks, has emerged as a potential successor, with The Economic Times reporting investors have floated his name.
- Arora has led Palo Alto Networks since 2018 and overseen the company's expansion into AI-powered cybersecurity.
- He previously served as president and chief operating officer of SoftBank and worked for a decade at Google, per his official biography.
Yes, but: His experience is largely in cybersecurity and other areas of tech, rather than chip development.
Lisa Su
Su has led AMD, one of Nvidia's biggest rivals, for more than a decade. Bloomberg identified her as a potential successor given her deep experience in the chip industry.
Yes, but: Su already runs one of Nvidia's biggest rivals, and she was just named "CEO of the Year" by Yahoo! Finance.
- Axios chief technology correspondent Ina Fried says Su might relish competing with a weakened Nvidia rather than taking over for Huang.
Thomas Kurian
Kurian, the CEO of Google Cloud could also be considered.
- Kurian oversees cloud infrastructure, enterprise software and AI services, giving him experience with major customers and technology essential to Nvidia's business.
Yes, but: His resume does not feature chip design experience.
Pat Gelsinger
The former Intel CEO boasts decades of semiconductor engineering and leadership experience at one of Nvidia's longtime competitors.
- Gelsinger has publicly criticized Nvidia's approach to AI computing, backed its competitors and sparred with Huang over the future of chips.
Yes, but: Gelsinger struggled to make Intel a stronger AI competitor. His name has surfaced in online speculation, but there's no public indication Nvidia's board is considering him.
Madison Huang
Huang's daughter Madison has emerged as a possible long-term successor, according to reporting by the Financial Times, citing sources familiar.
- She's a senior director working on product marketing for Nvidia's physical AI business and has been described as a rising star within the company. Her name has also surfaced in prediction market speculation.
Zoom in: Huang's son Spencer and son-in-law Nico Caprez also work at Nvidia. Caprez, who oversees global AI infrastructure growth, has also been tapped as a potential successor, per Bloomberg.
Yes, but: Huang's children hold relatively junior positions compared with Nvidia's more experienced executives.
- Asked about his daughter's potential succession in the Bloomberg interview, Huang said Madison and her brother Spencer would have to earn the position rather than inherit it.
