Jensen Huang’s departure from the helm of Nvidia opens a period of uncertainty for the giant of AI-dedicated processors. Donald Trump publicly proposed Tim Cook, former CEO of Apple, to succeed him, while several industry figures have lamented this departure.
Co-founder and iconic CEO of the semiconductor manufacturer, Jensen Huang resigned on November 12, 2026, following revelations concerning his private life. The same day, Donald Trump reacted by proposing an unexpected successor: Tim Cook, former CEO and current executive chairman of Apple. In a message posted on his social network Truth Social, the US president praised the work accomplished by Jensen Huang. ‘A Legend replaces a Legend!’, he notably wrote. Donald Trump did not specify whether Tim Cook was interested in the position, and Nvidia, which appointed Colette Kress as interim CEO, has not confirmed his candidacy.
Tim Sweeney and Palmer Luckey Defend Nvidia Founder
Among the most notable reactions is that of Tim Sweeney, founder and CEO of Epic Games. The executive described the day as ‘sad for Nvidia, developers, America, and all of humanity’. He also praised Jensen Huang’s ability to build a large-scale company while maintaining a sustained pace of innovation. According to him, Nvidia is one of the few technology groups that have managed to grow without systematically prioritizing value extraction at the expense of innovation.
The founder of Anduril, Palmer Luckey, also showed his support for the Nvidia leader. Before the official announcement, he posted a particularly direct statement on X: ‘China wants Jensen out, so I want him in’. This statement refers to the technological tensions between Washington and Beijing, particularly around access to advanced semiconductors. It reflects the fear that a change in leadership at Nvidia could weaken a player considered strategic in the international technology competition.
Elon Musk Ready to Welcome Jensen Huang
Elon Musk, head of Tesla and SpaceX, also spoke out. Asked on X by a user who suggested he recruit Jensen Huang, the billionaire replied: ‘It would be an honor’. His response was published in the early hours of November 12, even before the official announcement of the resignation. He also endorsed a post recalling the precedents of Steve Jobs at Apple and Travis Kalanick at Uber, highlighting the difficulties a company can face when it parts ways with its founder.
Other figures expressed their regrets. Clément Delangue, co-founder and CEO of Hugging Face, lamented the situation, while reaffirming his commitment to continue developing open-source artificial intelligence. Changpeng Zhao, former head of Binance, for his part, believed that letting Jensen Huang leave Nvidia was a mistake.
