Trump Says Tim Cook Is the Only Man to Replace Jensen Huang at Nvidia: 'A Legend Replaces a Legend' After Exit

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says Apple executive chairman Tim Cook should take over as chief executive of Nvidia Corp., hours after Jensen Huang resigned from the AI chipmaker amid a widening scandal.

"NOW THAT Nvidia CEO JENSEN HUANG, who has done a fantastic job, has resigned, there is only one man to take his place - TIM COOK of Apple," Trump wrote Thursday on Truth Social.

"A Legend replaces a Legend!" he added.

It was unclear whether Trump meant the suggestion seriously, Axios reported. Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Cook has not publicly shown any interest in the role.

Trump appeared to stand by the idea in later comments, saying Cook had "just sort of semi-retired from Apple," according to Technology.org.

No sign Nvidia is considering Cook

There is no indication that Nvidia is considering Cook, or that Trump has any role in the decision, The Washington Post reported.

Nvidia's board named Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress interim CEO on Thursday and said it would consider both internal and external candidates for a permanent replacement. The board also appointed longtime director Harvey C. Jones as its first-ever chair.

Analysts and investors have pointed to Kress and Nvidia engineer Ian Buck as leading internal candidates. Outside names floated in media reports include Arm CEO Rene Haas, AMD CEO Lisa Su and Apple hardware chief Johny Srouji.

On prediction market Polymarket, traders ranked Cook behind Buck, Kress and Haas.

Cook's new role at Apple

Cook, 66, stepped down as Apple's CEO on Sept. 1 after 15 years and handed the job to John Ternus, formerly Apple's hardware chief. He moved into the role of executive chairman of Apple's board.

In that role, Cook continues to engage with global policymakers and manage international relationships, including Apple's ties with China, according to TechCrunch.

Cook joined Apple in 1998 and served as chief operating officer from 2005. He became CEO in 2011, shortly before the death of co-founder Steve Jobs.

Under Cook, Apple launched products and services including the Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple Music and Apple TV, and grew into one of the world's most valuable companies.

Cook's background is mainly in operations and supply chain management rather than chip engineering. Analysts say Nvidia's next leader will need a deep understanding of AI technology.

Close ties to Trump

Both Cook and Huang have built close relationships with Trump.

Huang was regarded as one of Trump's closest allies in Silicon Valley. He frequently visited Washington, met with officials and lobbied for permission to sell advanced chips to China. Trump previously described Huang as "utterly visionary" for his views on tariffs and AI chip export rules.

Cook has also cultivated ties with the president. In August 2025, he announced an additional $100 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing and gave Trump a commemorative plaque mounted on a 24-karat gold base.

Trump once mistakenly called Cook "Tim Apple" during a 2019 White House meeting, a slip that became a long-running joke.

Cook and Huang both attended a White House state dinner in September for Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Huang's resignation

Huang, who co-founded Nvidia in 1993, resigned Thursday as president, CEO and director, effective immediately.

His exit followed reports that he had a relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based Nvidia customer Megaspeed whom U.S. officials suspect of being a Chinese intelligence asset. The two are not related. China has denied the spying allegations.

On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Huang also had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of health care, who reported to him. Nvidia and Powell did not respond to requests for comment on that report.

Trump did not address the controversy in his post and instead praised Huang's work.

Earlier this week, Trump said he spoke with Huang by phone and that Huang told him he did not know the woman was suspected of being a spy. Trump also said the FBI was looking into the matter.

"I think he's an honorable guy," Trump told reporters, adding that Huang had "done an amazing job for our country."

Trump later called the saga a "horrible thing" and "so sad to see," CNBC reported.

Investigations continue

The scandal is still drawing scrutiny in Washington. The Justice Department is investigating whether companies linked to Alice Huang were involved in smuggling servers containing restricted chips into China, according to South Korea's Jaekyung Ilbo. Lawmakers are also seeking closed-door testimony from Huang.

Nvidia shares closed Thursday at $166.19, down 4.34%, after falling more than 11% earlier in the day.

What's next

Nvidia is scheduled to report fiscal third-quarter earnings on Tuesday, Nov. 17, the first major test of Kress' interim leadership.

The board has not given a timeline for naming a permanent CEO.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.