Tech and AI
Trump says Apple’s Tim Cook should succeed Jensen Huang as Nvidia’s chief executive
- What happened
- President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that “there is only one man” to replace Jensen Huang at Nvidia: Apple’s former chief executive Tim Cook.
- Why it matters
- Nvidia is run on an interim basis by its chief financial officer after Huang resigned following reports of affairs, including one with an alleged Chinese spy.
- What’s next
- Apple and Nvidia did not immediately comment; Trump repeated the idea in a podcast interview the same day.
How this story developed
- 19:12First report
- 03:462nd source
- 03:46Confirmed
- 19:12First reportTechCrunch
- 03:462nd sourceThe Verge
- 03:46LatestConfirmedWas: Single source
Full story
Trump’s pick
Shortly after Jensen Huang’s resignation as Nvidia’s chief executive was announced on Thursday, President Donald Trump proposed a successor in a post on Truth Social, The Verge and TechCrunch reported.
“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”
Donald Trump, The Verge
Huang stepped down after reports of affairs, including one with a woman alleged to be a Chinese spy. The chipmaker is now led on an interim basis by its chief financial officer, The Verge reported.
Where Tim Cook is now
Cook stepped down as Apple’s chief executive on 1 September 2026 after 15 years in the job and became executive chairman of Apple’s board, TechCrunch noted; John Ternus took over as CEO. In his new role Cook still deals with policymakers around the world and manages Apple’s international relationships, including its relations with China.
Trump is not the only one to suggest him. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a senior associate dean at the Yale School of Management who studies corporate leadership, wrote in Time on Wednesday that Cook should be among the candidates, citing his “unparalleled track record of succeeding a bigger-than-life founder”, a reference to Cook taking over from Steve Jobs at Apple.
The pitch on a podcast
Trump made the case again on Thursday in an episode of Stephen A. Smith’s Straight Shooter podcast, saying Cook had done one of the greatest jobs in the history of business, The Verge reported.
“I think Tim Cook would be a great candidate to run Nvidia.”
Donald Trump, The Verge
On the same podcast Trump said he had spoken to Huang the day before and that Huang was “going through hell”, most troubled by what he had done to his wife and family. Trump said the big question was whether the woman was a spy, which he did not know had been determined, and called Huang a “tremendous talent”.
Apple and Nvidia did not immediately reply to The Verge’s request for comment. Cook is known for his close relationship with Trump; last year he gave the president a 24k gold and glass statue.