To The Moon

As NVIDIA board investigates related reports and the company newly warns that it is "heavily dependent on the services provided by its long-serving executive team," failing to establish an effective succession plan could hinder its strategic planning, execution, and long-term development, drawing market attention to potential successors.

Reports say search firms have already been scouting candidates across the industry, including AMD CEO Lisa Su and Arm CEO Rene Haas.

Hard to Replicate Existing Business and Policy Relationships

NVIDIA's board has not publicly stated who would take over if Jensen Huang could no longer lead the company. Analysts cited in a report said that even if NVIDIA could find someone to succeed Huang in business functions, it would be difficult to replicate the business and policy relationships he built over decades of traveling the world and engaging with many corporate leaders and heads of state.

For example, he frequently communicates with former U.S. President Donald Trump and has visited Europe and Asia multiple times to explain to local officials the importance of AI and chips flowing smoothly around the world. The report also noted that when Huang joined a podcast co-hosted by White House AI adviser David Sacks in September, he received a call from Trump, immediately put his phone on speaker, and praised the president for not overreacting to AI model-induced cyberattacks by imposing overly strict restrictions.

In addition, Huang has good personal ties with many competitors. When he received an honorary doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan personally placed the doctoral cap on him.

Jim Secreto, a public affairs consultant who served as a deputy chief of staff at the Commerce Department during the Biden administration and who has been called "NVIDIA's Steve Jobs," said, "Huang is hard to replace; he has become a unique force in the AI geopolitical landscape." Daniel Newman, CEO of technology research and advisory firm Futurum Group, said, "In many ways, Huang is NVIDIA's Steve Jobs. That doesn't mean the company won't find a successor akin to Tim Cook in the future, but it would be a major leadership transition, and the company hasn't prepared for it yet."

Reported Candidates Include Su and Rene Haas

In addition, an analysis article by foreign media outlet The Information pointed out that search firms have been scouting candidates within the industry so that if NVIDIA's board decides to replace Huang, it can present alternatives, including AMD CEO Lisa Su.

The article said that under Su's leadership, AMD's revenue grew substantially, but the two companies are competitors, which could make her move very difficult; her family relationship with Huang is another obstacle.

Compared with Su, Arm CEO Rene Haas may be a more suitable candidate; he worked at NVIDIA (NVDA) for seven years early in his career. The report also mentioned that NVIDIA does not have a clear No. 2 core figure; although CFO Colette Kress could serve as an interim successor, she is not suitable as a long-term succession arrangement.

Huang Has Said He Hopes a Successor Comes From Inside the Company

However, Huang previously said in a Bloomberg interview that he hopes a successor will emerge from within NVIDIA (NVDA), and at the time he leaned toward completing a power transfer in 20 years. "I take this job very seriously, but I don't take it for granted."

As for his two children, who also work at NVIDIA, Huang made clear he does not want them to bear the burden of running the company. He added: "If that's their goal, whether it's Spencer or Madison, they have to earn it themselves. But this job is really hard and requires enormous sacrifice."