Discussions have heated up over a new CEO at Nvidia, one of the world’s largest companies in artificial intelligence (AI). Former Apple CEO Tim Cook has been named to replace the company’s current CEO and co-founder Jensen Huang. However, Nvidia has not made any announcement regarding this yet.
In fact, this discussion has started after news of the controversy surrounding Jensen Huang’s personal life and the search for a potential successor by the company’s board. Questions are being raised regarding Huang’s extramarital affair. There is also talk of spying allegations from China regarding the woman he is said to be in a relationship with. However, these allegations have not been substantiated.
Why is Tim Cook’s name in discussion?
A big reason why Tim Cook’s name comes up is his long business experience. Yale School of Management professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld said in an article that Tim Cook could be a strong choice if Nvidia needs an experienced leader from the outside. Cook took over the company in 2011 after Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. At the time many thought that Apple would not be able to sustain its success without Jobs, but Cook took the company to new heights. Under his leadership, the success of products like iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods drove Apple’s business.
Cook is no longer CEO of Apple. He stepped down in September 2026 and was replaced by John Turness. After this, Cook became the executive chairman of the company. His experience in supply chain, global manufacturing and handling large-scale business could be useful for Nvidia.
Tim Cook isn’t the only one in the race for Nvidia CEO.
Discussions about Nvidia’s next CEO also involve many big names inside and outside the company. The most famous name of these is Ian Buck. He oversees the large data center and high-performance computing businesses at Nvidia. He has also been instrumental in developing the company’s CUDA software platform. With this technology, Nvidia’s GPUs are used for AI and other complex computing needs.
Another name belongs to the company’s CFO, Colette Kress. He is responsible for Nvidia’s financial performance and interactions with investors. Apart from this, the name of Rene Haas, CEO of chip company Arm, is also among the possible candidates. He previously worked at Nvidia and has extensive experience in the chip industry.
Also in the race is India-born Jay Puri, who has held senior leadership positions at Nvidia for over two decades. Jai Puri stepped down from his executive position in August 2026 and is now working as a senior advisor to the company.
The road to a new CEO for Nvidia will not be easy
Today, Nvidia is among the world’s largest manufacturers of AI chips. Many of the world’s biggest tech companies depend on Nvidia’s chips for their AI models and data centers. Jenson Huang has been instrumental in the company’s success. He founded Nvidia in 1993 and led the company for more than three decades. In such a situation, the new CEO will have a big challenge to advance the success of the company. He also has to understand AI technology, the chip business, the international market and the growing technological tensions between the US and China. All eyes are now on Nvidia’s board’s decision on who gets the reins of the company.
