Meet the contenders to succeed Jensen Huang

{"text":[[{"start":6.28,"text":"After the resignation of Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang on Thursday following the revelations of two extramarital affairs, attention has turned to who will replace him."}],[{"start":15.8,"text":"Huang, who was a towering figure at Nvidia with around 60 direct reports, has been temporarily replaced by finance chief Colette Kress, but his permanent successor is yet to be determined."}],[{"start":28,"text":"Tae Kim, author of The Nvidia Way, wrote in a blog post on Thursday that there were “only two choices” for chief executive: Arm boss Rene Haas and Ian Buck, who leads Nvidia’s critical data centre business."}],[{"start":41.08,"text":"But US President Donald Trump threw a curveball into the mix, suggesting former Apple boss Tim Cook as an outside candidate in a post on Truth Social."}],[{"start":50.68,"text":"“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 on Thursday."}],[{"start":182.77,"text":"The list of likely candidates is as follows:"}],[{"start":183.27,"text":"Ian Buck"}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":183.77,"text":"Buck, who leads Nvidia’s critical data centre business and invented the company’s Cuda software platform, is the Polymarket favourite."}],[{"start":184.27,"text":"Although not part of Huang’s inner circle, he commands enormous respect within the company due to his technical understanding of Nvidia’s products."}],[{"start":184.77,"text":"“Ian is one of the most important figures in Nvidia’s history,” Kim wrote, adding that he had “the engineering knowledge, experience, close data centre customer relationships, and employee respect needed to lead Nvidia into its next chapter”."}],[{"start":185.27,"text":"Rene Haas"}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":185.77,"text":"The current boss of rival chipmaker Arm, Haas worked at Nvidia until 2013 and would bring both experience as a chief executive and an understanding of Nvidia’s operations to the role."}],[{"start":186.27,"text":"Since leading Arm through its Nasdaq listing in 2023, Haas has overseen a share price growth of more than 230 per cent, as the company has capitalised on the AI boom."}],[{"start":186.77,"text":"“He has proven very successful outside Nvidia with a strong grasp of technology, a public-facing CEO skill set, and well-regarded business management experience,” Kim said. “Rene would be a great choice.”"}],[{"start":187.27,"text":"Colette Kress"}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":187.77,"text":"A member of Huang’s inner circle — which also includes general counsel Tim Teter, operations chief Debora Shoquist and worldwide field operations chief Nick Parker — the finance chief has been tasked with leading the company temporarily after her former boss’s departure."}],[{"start":188.27,"text":"Kress, who joined in 2013 from Cisco and previously worked at Microsoft, is not an engineer like Huang and lacks his technical knowledge, unlike Buck and Haas."}],[{"start":188.77,"text":"Her first big public test will come quickly: she is due to host Nvidia’s quarterly results call next Tuesday."}],[{"start":189.27,"text":"Lisa Su"}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":189.77,"text":"Su, the current chief executive at Nvidia’s largest rival AMD and Huang’s cousin once removed, is another outside contender."}],[{"start":190.27,"text":"The highly regarded executive, who has lasted 12 years as the AMD boss, has experience rescuing a major company from crisis."}],[{"start":190.77,"text":"Tim Cook"}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":178.76,"text":"An outside pick, Cook stepped down as chief executive of Apple at the end of August after 15 years heading the technology giant."}],[{"start":187.16,"text":"Cook has experience walking the tightrope of business and politics that would be needed as Nvidia chief executive, but is seen as an unlikely candidate for the role."}],[{"start":187.66,"text":"Madison Huang"}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":196,"text":"Jensen’s daughter, who joined Nvidia as an intern about six years ago, is now in a senior product marketing role and had been touted as a long-term successor before her father’s resignation."}],[{"start":207.24,"text":"The younger Huang had started appearing more frequently, accompanying her father on international trips, including his most recent visit to Europe last month."}],[{"start":215.56,"text":"However, her father told Bloomberg last month that Madison and his son Spencer Huang, who also works at Nvidia, would “have to earn it” and suggested he planned to stay in the role for as many as 20 more years."}],[{"start":227.82,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1794579058_3269.mp3"}