Nvidia investor Ross Gerber has rejected Donald Trump’s suggestion that former Apple boss Tim Cook should replace Jensen Huang, arguing the chipmaker should look internally for its next chief executive.
Nvidia has pushed back against Donald Trump’s suggestion that Apple chairman Tim Cook should replace Jensen Huang as chief executive, with a major investor arguing that the chipmaker should instead promote from within.
The US President suggested Cook was the obvious choice after Huang stepped down as Nvidia CEO on Thursday (12.11.26) following reports about his personal life.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote there was “only one man” who should replace Huang, referring to Cook as “A Legend replaces a Legend.”
However, Ross Gerber, chief executive of California wealth management firm Gerber Kawasaki, which has invested in Nvidia for more than 15 years, dismissed the idea.
Speaking to the BBC’s deputy economics editor Dharshini David on Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday (13.11.26), Gerber said: “It definitely shouldn’t be Tim Cook because this is the guy who actually missed AI for Apple and I’m not sure if even he knows what AI does but that is not who I want running Nvidia.
“I think the best thing for Nvidia is somebody inside the company who has worked with all the management – like Colette (Kress, interim CEO) right now, I think, is a great pick. There’s other leaders inside Nvidia that I think the board should look at and I think I prefer internal promotions.”
Huang, 63, co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and has led the company throughout its transformation into one of the world’s most valuable technology firms, with its chips powering much of the artificial intelligence industry.
Nvidia shares initially fell sharply amid uncertainty surrounding Huang’s future before the company announced his departure and confirmed chief financial officer Kress would serve as interim CEO.
Gerber said she was “the right person for the role in the meantime” and predicted Nvidia would continue to perform strongly without Huang.
He said: “It looks the exact same other than not having a great spokesperson and salesperson, not only to the media and to customers but just being a very loved business figure in a world of business figures who are roundly hated – Jensen kind of seemed like a breath of fresh air.”
Gerber described Huang as one of his business heroes and said his departure was “depressing and disappointing”, but argued Nvidia had a strong management team capable of continuing its growth.
He also suggested Huang’s relationship with Nvidia might not be “permanently over” once the current controversy has passed.
Nvidia investor scoffs at Donald Trump’s suggestion that Tim Cook should replace Jensen Huang as CEO
