Donald Trump has named Tim Cook, the former CEO of Apple, as the ideal candidate to take the helm of Nvidia, shortly after Jensen Huang’s departure. The US president made this suggestion on Truth Social, but the decision rests with Nvidia’s board of directors, not the White House.
In a message written in capital letters, Donald Trump first praised Jensen Huang’s “fantastic work.” He stated there is “only one man” capable of succeeding him, “TIM COOK of Apple,” before concluding: “A legend replaces a legend!” This statement came just hours after the announcement of the Nvidia founder’s departure. He was replaced on an emergency basis by his CFO, Colette Kress, while a permanent CEO is sought.
On substance, the suggestion was not considered absurd. On September 1st, Tim Cook handed over his role as CEO of Apple to John Ternus, after fifteen years at the group’s helm. He retains the executive chairmanship of the board. In Silicon Valley, his career is often cited as an example of a successful transition after a founding, dominant figure. Yale governance professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld even argued in the pages of Time for his name to be at the top of the list.
A Candidate Who Didn’t Ask for Anything
However, there is no evidence to suggest that Nvidia has approached Tim Cook, nor that he wishes to take on an operational role again at 66. The choice of the future leader belongs to the board of directors, now chaired by Harvey Jones. Relations between Apple and Nvidia also remain strained: Apple has removed Nvidia’s graphics chips from its Macs for over a decade.
Behind the scenes, another name is being mentioned more insistently: that of Johny Srouji, the architect of Apple Silicon chips, the processors designed by Apple for its own devices.
This intervention primarily puts pressure on Nvidia’s directors. The board, already criticized for its passivity towards Jensen Huang, would do well to demonstrate its independence by not following presidential instructions, according to commentary published on the subject.
