NVIDIA Loses Huang, Loses $855 Billion, and Trump Picks Cook

NVIDIA's board accepted Jensen Huang's resignation as president, CEO and director on Nov. 11, 2026, effective immediately, according to a Form 8-K filed Nov. 12. The company's market value has fallen more than $855 billion since the prior Friday, TechCrunch reported. Into that vacuum stepped a president with an opinion and no vote.

President Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 10:29 a.m. EST: "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!"

The post reflects personal opinion only. It carries no nomination, no offer and no board action. Reuters reported that Apple and Cook did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Who is running NVIDIA right now?

CFO Colette Kress, 59 per the filing, is interim CEO while the board searches. She keeps the CFO title. Director Harvey C. Jones, 73, a board member since 1993, is now chair.

TechCrunch reported that Huang resigned days after admitting to a romantic affair with an alleged Chinese spy. The filing itself says nothing about the cause. That gap matters.

He left a business still accelerating. Fiscal Q2 2027 revenue was $96.221 billion, up 105.85% year over year, including $89.023 billion from Data Center. Guidance for Q3 stood at $108.0 billion, plus or minus 2%. On that call, Huang said "everybody is really running flat out" across the supply chain.

That supply chain is the worry. Hedgeye's Felix Wang told Bloomberg: "Without Jensen guiding the suppliers… you're probably going to see more delays." The claim is plausible. It is also untested.

Where does Tim Cook stand?

Cook stepped down as Apple's CEO on Sept. 1, 2026, after roughly 15 years running the company, per MacRumors and TechCrunch. He now serves as Apple's executive chairman. MacRumors was blunt: "There is no indication that Cook actually wants to be Nvidia's CEO."

Others have floated him anyway. Yale's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld proposed Cook in a Time op-ed, citing "an unparalleled track record of succeeding a bigger-than-life founder." One estimate shared on social media shortly after Trump's post put Cook's chance of getting the job at 5%.

Apple's own transition offers context. New CEO John Ternus held his first earnings call on Nov. 2, 2026, reporting record September-quarter revenue of $114.477 billion and fiscal 2026 revenue of $478.834 billion. Apple shares are up 32.16% year to date.

Apple hardware chief Johny Srouji is reportedly among the people NVIDIA is considering, MacRumors reported, citing Semafor. Reported, not confirmed.

How big is the leadership gap in dollars?

NVIDIA closed at $166.19 on Nov. 12, down 4.34%, according to Motley Fool. By 1:03 p.m. ET Friday, the stock traded at $160.70 intraday, down 3.3% on the day. Market value peaked at $5.88 trillion in early October, TechCrunch reported. CBS News said the stock was on track to lose more than $700 billion since the prior week's close. Yahoo Finance counted nine downgrades over two days.

Analysts split on what Huang's exit costs. Dan Ives of Yorkville Ives values NVIDIA at $225 a share without Huang and $300 with him, CBS reported. Ives said, "we cannot see Jensen running Nvidia as CEO at this point." Swissquote's Ipek Ozkardeskaya pushed back: "There is no credible way to put a precise revenue loss on his departure." Both cannot be right, and neither offers proof.

Who actually picks the next CEO?

Only NVIDIA's board can fill the seat. The Financial Times reported that the board has approached Rene Haas, CEO of Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM). Haas spent about seven years at NVIDIA. The FT described him as one of several candidates, not the candidate.

The next test arrives Nov. 17, 2026, when NVIDIA reports earnings. Kress is scheduled to hold a company-wide meeting on Nov. 18. Investors should watch three things: whether revenue meets the $108.0 billion guidance, whether gross margin holds near the roughly 74.0% target, and whether the board signals any timeline for a permanent CEO.