Huang Steps Down Amid Leadership Transition

NVIDIA announced the resignation of Jensen Huang as chief executive, president and board director. The company named Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO. Kress will continue in her finance role while the board evaluates internal and external candidates for a permanent successor. Longtime director Harvey C. Jones was appointed as the board’s first chairman.

Most of NVIDIA’s roughly 50-person senior leadership team had reported directly to Huang, who maintained a hands-on role in product direction, technology development and major business decisions. The change places that structure under review as the company seeks its next permanent leader.

Trump’s Shifting Public Positions

On November 9, Trump publicly called for Huang to remain as NVIDIA’s chief executive and praised his contributions to the United States, describing him as a good person and expressing respect for his talent.

Three days later, on November 12, Trump stated that Tim Cook should replace Huang. In a Truth Social post, Trump praised Huang’s performance and wrote that “A Legend replaces a Legend!” Cook completed a 15-year tenure as Apple chief executive in September and now serves as the company’s executive chairman. His current responsibilities center on policy and engagement with governments, without directing day-to-day operations under successor John Ternus.

NVIDIA’s board has not commented publicly on the suggestion. Prediction market participants have indicated support for other internal candidates, including Ian Buck.

Conversations Between Trump and Huang

Trump said he spoke with Huang at least three times in the week leading up to the resignation announcement. Huang called him on November 11, the day before a White House interview Trump conducted with sports commentator Stephen A. Smith for the program “Straight Shooter.”

In that interview, Trump reported that Huang described the effect of the surrounding turmoil on his wife and family as the most painful aspect. Trump praised Huang’s chipmaking expertise and stated that NVIDIA’s chips are too complex for China to replicate. When asked whether Huang should resign, Trump replied that the answer depended on whether a woman involved was a spy, adding that he did not know whether that had been established.

In subsequent remarks, Trump said he had spoken with Huang again and described NVIDIA as a company the executive built single-handedly. He called Huang’s work amazing, labeled the company incredible, and said Huang possessed exceptional talent and the ability to regain his footing under any circumstances.

Cook has previously received public praise from Trump, who noted during his first term that the Apple executive contacted him directly rather than through consultants. When Cook’s departure from the Apple chief executive role was announced, Trump characterized his career as nearly incomparable.

Interim Leadership and Next Steps

Kress joined NVIDIA in 2013, when the company focused primarily on gaming graphics chips. Her responsibilities have centered on finance, investment and capital allocation as NVIDIA expanded into a major supplier of artificial intelligence hardware. The board continues to weigh candidates while Kress leads on an interim basis.