Former President Donald Trump has publicly pitched Tim Cook as the ideal successor to Jensen Huang, who resigned as Nvidia’s CEO Thursday amid dual affair scandals—one involving a woman U.S. intelligence reportedly linked to Chinese espionage.
Trump’s Surprise CEO Pick
On Truth Social, Trump hailed the idea of Cook—who stepped down as Apple’s CEO in September but remains executive chairman—taking the helm at Nvidia: “A Legend replaces a Legend!” The post praised Huang’s tenure but argued Cook was the “only man for the job.” There’s no indication Trump consulted Cook or Nvidia’s board, which named CFO Colette Kress interim CEO while searching for a permanent replacement.
Scandal Topples Huang
Huang’s downfall accelerated this week after The New York Times reported his affair with Alice Huang (no relation), a former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed, an Nvidia client. U.S. officials allegedly suspected her of passing information to Beijing—claims China denies. Huang admitted to the affair Sunday, apologizing to his wife and pledging cooperation with Nvidia’s investigation. Trump defended him, saying Huang claimed ignorance of any espionage ties.
On Wednesday, the Times revealed a second affair with Nvidia healthcare chief Kimberly Powell, citing footage of them together at a company event. By that evening, The Wall Street Journal reported the board was moving to oust Huang. He resigned the following morning. Nvidia shares dropped 11% at Thursday’s open.
Cook’s Unlikely Trump Alliance
Trump’s advocacy for Cook reflects a years-long thaw between the two, despite early clashes. In 2016, Trump called for an Apple boycott over its refusal to unlock a terrorist’s iPhone, but he later praised Cook as one of few tech CEOs who called him directly during his presidency. Their relationship survived public rifts over policies like the Muslim travel ban. Now, that backchannel rapport might position Cook for an unexpected career twist—if Nvidia’s board agrees with Trump’s verdict.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-wants-tech-legend-to-replace-jensen-huang-at-nvidia