Hours after Jensen Huang resigned as CEO of Nvidia, President Donald Trump weighed in with a pick of his own for the job: Apple executive chairman Tim Cook.
“NOW THAT Nvidia CEO JENSEN HUANG, who has done a fantastic job, has resigned, there is only one man to take his place – TIM COOK of Apple. A Legend replaces a Legend!” Trump wrote Thursday on Truth Social, according to USA Today, The Hill and Politico.
USA Today described the post as the president’s first public statement on Huang’s departure.
Why Huang is out
Nvidia announced Thursday that Huang was resigning immediately, with chief financial officer Colette Kress taking over as interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent replacement, The Hill and Politico reported.
Huang had faced mounting scrutiny over reported extramarital affairs, including one with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy. According to The Hill, a New York Times report said U.S. authorities discovered that Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang illegally smuggled advanced AI chips into China while developing a “close relationship” with the Nvidia chief. Nvidia’s board had already opened an independent investigation into the matter.
Who is Tim Cook now?
Cook stepped down as Apple’s CEO on Sept. 1 after 15 years running the company and became executive chairman of Apple’s board, TechCrunch reported. John Ternus replaced him as CEO.
USA Today noted that Trump is close to both men. Huang and Cook attended a White House State Dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping in September and sat at the same table, and both were part of Trump’s entourage during his trip to China in May.
Trump isn’t the only one floating the idea. TechCrunch pointed to a Time op-ed published Wednesday by Yale School of Management’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who suggested Cook should be among the candidates, citing his track record of succeeding a “bigger-than-life founder” when he took over Apple from Steve Jobs.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Politico reported. There is no indication Nvidia’s board has approached Cook.
Congress still wants answers
Meanwhile, Capitol Hill isn’t done with Huang. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., told NBC News that Huang has agreed to brief lawmakers about his interactions with the alleged spy, likely before Thanksgiving, without the need for a subpoena.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Huang’s resignation “was the right thing to do,” adding, “Now we have to get to the bottom of whether America’s national security has been compromised.”
Reporting based on accounts from USA Today, The Hill, Politico, TechCrunch and NBC News.