President Donald Trump has named his preferred successor to Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) co-founder Jensen Huang, making a surprise call for former Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook to take charge of the AI chip giant.
In a Truth Social post Thursday, Trump wrote:
“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. A Legend replaces a Legend! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
The endorsement came hours after Nvidia confirmed Huang’s resignation as president, CEO and board member, ending his 33-year leadership of the company he co-founded in 1993.
Nvidia appointed Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO while its board searches for a permanent replacement.
Trump’s recommendation carries no formal authority over that decision, which rests with Nvidia’s board. There has been no confirmed indication that Cook is seeking the position.
Why Tim Cook’s Name Was Already in the Mix
Cook, who led Apple for 15 years, stepped down as CEO in September 2026 and became the company’s executive chairman, with John Ternus taking over as chief executive.
His name had already surfaced in speculation about Nvidia’s leadership.
On Wednesday, Benzinga reported that prediction market platform Kalshi assigned Cook a 10% chance of becoming Nvidia’s next CEO, down sharply from 91% roughly a day earlier.
Nvidia executive Ian Buck led the market at 42%, followed by Kress at 27%. Those figures reflected trading at the time, before Thursday’s resignation announcement and Trump’s endorsement, rather than any official selection process.
Wall Street Confronts Nvidia’s Leadership Crisis
Huang’s departure follows reports of extramarital relationships, including one involving a woman suspected of connections to Chinese intelligence. Nvidia has said it has no reason to believe company secrets or U.S. national security were compromised.
The uncertainty has prompted major Wall Street analysts to reassess Nvidia’s valuation.
According to Benzinga Pro data, Bernstein halved its price target Thursday to $200 from $400, while Citigroup lowered its forecast to $225 from $285.
RBC Capital reduced its target to $230 from $330, and Needham cut its prediction to $200 from $300.
Meanwhile, Cantor Fitzgerald slashed its target to $250 from $350, with analyst C.J. Muse describing Huang’s departure as a “sad day” for Nvidia and U.S. leadership in AI.
In a Thursday research note, Muse warned about potential talent losses, supply-chain disruption and pressure on Nvidia’s relationships with major customers.
Those concerns underline the challenge facing Nvidia’s board: finding someone capable of sustaining the company’s AI dominance without the founder who built it.
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