Nvidia’s leadership changed hands Thursday after Jensen Huang resigned as CEO, ending more than three decades at the helm of the AI chip giant. The departure followed a turbulent period that included reports of extramarital affairs and a board investigation. Huang had acknowledged being “unfaithful” to his wife, writing, “There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.”¹

The board named CFO Colette Kress interim CEO, while she continues in her finance role. Kress pledged to build on the company Huang created, saying Nvidia’s strength “has always come from its people.” Board chair Harvey Jones said directors had “full confidence” in Kress and expected operations and the product roadmap to continue without interruption.²

That assurance comes as investors weigh whether Nvidia can sustain its momentum without the only CEO it has known. Kress has been a familiar face on earnings calls and helped oversee the company’s shift into a dominant AI-chip supplier. But she has spent less of her career in engineering than Huang, whose hands-on influence extended deeply into technology development. Her interim tenure will face an early test at the company’s next earnings call.

Trump offered a different answer to the succession question. In a Thursday Truth Social post, he called Tim Cook, who stepped down as Apple CEO earlier this year, “the only one man” who could take Huang’s place, adding: “A Legend replaces a Legend!”¹ Trump has previously praised Cook as an “amazing manager and leader,” citing the executive’s willingness to call him directly.

For now, the board’s choice is Kress, not Cook. Nvidia has not named a permanent successor, leaving the company’s next chapter to be shaped by its interim chief and the leadership team around her.