Donald Trump proposed that Tim Cook head NVIDIA
U.S. President Donald Trump proposed appointing former Apple CEO Tim Cook to lead NVIDIA. Trump made the statement after the announcement that NVIDIA co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang was stepping down.
Trump floated the idea on the social network Truth Social shortly after NVIDIA announced that Huang was stepping down as president and CEO and leaving the company’s board of directors. The board accepted his resignation on November 11. The politician praised the outgoing executive’s achievements and added that only one person could replace him: Apple’s Tim Cook, summing it up as one legend succeeding another.
Later, on TV host Stephen A. Smith’s podcast, Trump explained his thinking in more detail. He noted that Cook had recently left his position as Apple’s CEO and praised his leadership of the company. The president also said that Jensen Huang had called him the day before.
According to Trump, the businessman who stepped down is taking the situation hard—primarily because of the scandal’s impact on his wife and family. The White House chief nevertheless expressed confidence that Huang would eventually be able to overcome the crisis.
No public reports have emerged of talks with Tim Cook about his moving to NVIDIA. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress, who has been with the company since 2013, has taken over as CEO until a permanent leader is found. Entrepreneur Harvey Jones became the first chair of the company’s board of directors.
As for Tim Cook, he left the Apple CEO post on September 1, 2026, after 15 years in the role, handing leadership to John Ternus. Cook is now Apple’s executive chairman and, in that role, works with government officials in various countries.
