Nvidia Approaches Arm CEO Rene Haas as Successor to Jensen Huang, Report Says
Nvidia’s board has approached Arm chief executive Rene Haas as a possible successor to Jensen Huang, the Financial Times reported on Friday, opening the first named chapter in the search to replace the man who led the world’s most valuable chipmaker for 33 years. The board, however, has pushed back on the report, saying it has not formally engaged any candidate and that speculation about individual names is premature.
Haas, 64, is one of several candidates under consideration, according to people familiar with the matter cited by the Financial Times. There is no guarantee he will be offered the job, or that he would accept it if one were extended. Reuters, which first carried the Financial Times report, said it could not independently verify it. Arm declined to comment.
Jensen Huang resigned on Thursday after a board investigation into his conduct, ending a tenure that began when he co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and turned it into the central supplier of the artificial intelligence boom. Colette Kress was named interim chief, with chief financial officer Kress stepping in while the board searches for a permanent replacement. Longtime director Harvey Jones has become the company’s first board chair.
A former Nvidia executive returns to the frame
Haas is a familiar figure inside Nvidia. He spent seven years at the company, rising to vice president and general manager of its computing products business, before joining Arm in 2013. He became Arm’s chief executive in February 2022 and oversaw the British chip designer’s Nasdaq listing in 2023.
That history makes him an unusual candidate: a former Nvidia executive who now runs the company whose processor designs sit at the heart of much of the computing world, including in devices and data centers that use Nvidia hardware. Arm designs processor architectures and licenses them to other companies that build their own chips. Historically its strength has been in mobile phones, but it has been expanding into personal computers and AI data-center chips — territory that overlaps increasingly with Nvidia’s own ambitions.
Analysts quoted in the reporting noted that Haas’s name had been circulating among industry watchers since Huang’s exit, and that his experience running a global chip company could make him a credible choice. Others cautioned that leading a licensing business is a different job from running Nvidia, where Huang personally steered engineering roadmaps, negotiated with governments over China export rules and directed massive investments across the AI ecosystem.
The board says no candidate has been formally engaged
Nvidia’s board moved quickly to temper the report. In a statement carried by several outlets, the board said it was still in the process of selecting an executive search firm and had not formally engaged any potential candidate.
“Any speculation regarding individual candidates, whether internal or external, is premature,” the board said.
The statement suggests the search is at an early stage. The board’s stated plan — choosing a search firm first — points to a deliberately measured process, and a permanent appointment is unlikely to arrive quickly. The next fixed date in the story is Tuesday, November 17, when Nvidia reports quarterly earnings with Kress at the helm and the succession search still open.
Markets react as shares slide
Investors reacted nervously to the succession news. Arm’s U.S.-listed shares fell nearly 10 percent at one point on Friday before recovering some of the losses to close at $190.53, down 4.63 percent. Nvidia’s shares were down more than 3 percent.
The slide extended a difficult stretch for Nvidia. The company’s stock has now posted six straight weekly losses, and the leadership crisis has arrived at a moment when the chipmaker faces heightened regulatory scrutiny and a growing consensus among U.S. lawmakers to further restrict its chip exports to China. The resignation itself followed reports of extramarital relationships, including one involving a business executive suspected by U.S. officials of having Chinese intelligence ties — a detail that has drawn the attention of Congress and complicated the company’s standing in Washington.
Who else is in the running
Haas is not the only name being discussed. Analysts view Kress as a steady financial authority, while veteran engineer Ian Buck is seen as a leading internal candidate after leading development of CUDA, the software platform that powers Nvidia’s AI chips.
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External names floated by analysts include Advanced Micro Devices chief Lisa Su, who has navigated the key China market, and Micron chief Sanjay Mehrotra, whose memory chips power Nvidia servers. Other candidates cited by industry watchers include Marvell head Matt Murphy and Apple hardware chief Johny Srouji, who oversaw the iPhone maker’s in-house silicon development. President Donald Trump has even floated former Apple chief Tim Cook, according to the Reuters report.
None of those names has been confirmed as a candidate by Nvidia, and the board’s statement applies to all of them.
Some employees want Huang back
The succession search is unfolding against an unusual backdrop: some Nvidia employees are publicly pushing for Huang’s return. An internal suggestion-box post calling for his reinstatement has drawn more than 1,600 comments, according to Wired, many of them supportive of the former chief executive.
That sentiment underlines how closely Huang’s identity is tied to the company he built. For three decades he was not only its chief executive but its public face — the leather-jacketed presenter of its product launches and the architect of its transformation from a graphics-card maker into the engine room of the AI industry. Some analysts expect the next chief executive to break from that model and run Nvidia through a more institutional leadership structure, with power spread across a senior team rather than concentrated in one person.
Why this matters
The choice of Nvidia’s next chief executive is one of the most consequential leadership decisions in the technology industry. Nvidia’s chips power the data centers behind the world’s largest AI systems, and its market value makes it a bellwether for the entire AI trade. A prolonged or messy succession could unsettle customers, partners and investors at a time when rivals are racing to close the gap.
The decision also carries geopolitical weight. Nvidia sits at the center of the U.S.-China technology rivalry, and its next leader will have to navigate export controls, congressional scrutiny and a White House that has taken a direct interest in the company’s affairs. Whoever takes the job will inherit not only the world’s most valuable chip business but also its most politically exposed one.
Latest developments
The board is still selecting an executive search firm, and no timetable has been given for a permanent appointment. Kress remains interim chief executive, and Jones chairs the board. Nvidia reports earnings on Tuesday, November 17, which will be the first major public test of the interim leadership. The House committee briefing involving Huang, previously expected around November 18, is now uncertain following his resignation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Nvidia offered Rene Haas the CEO job?
No offer has been reported. The Financial Times reported that Nvidia’s board approached Haas as one of several candidates, with no guarantee that he will receive an offer or accept one. Nvidia’s board said it has not formally engaged any candidate and is still selecting a search firm.
Who is Rene Haas?
Haas is the chief executive of Arm Holdings, the British chip designer. He spent seven years at Nvidia, rising to vice president and general manager of its computing products business, before joining Arm in 2013. He became Arm’s CEO in February 2022 and led its Nasdaq listing in 2023.
Who is running Nvidia now?
Chief financial officer Colette Kress is serving as interim chief executive, and longtime director Harvey Jones has become the company’s first board chair. Huang resigned on Thursday after 33 years leading the company he co-founded.
When will Nvidia name a permanent CEO?
No timetable has been announced. The board is still choosing an executive search firm, which suggests the process will take weeks or longer. Nvidia reports quarterly earnings on November 17 with Kress at the helm.
What to watch next
The earnings report on Tuesday will be the first chance to judge how the company is performing under interim leadership, and whether the board offers any update on the search. Any further reporting on candidates — or a formal statement from Haas or Arm — would move the story forward. Until then, the succession remains what the board says it is: an open search, with names in circulation but nothing decided.
Sources: Reuters (via Virginia Business); Decrypt; Financial Times (reported via Reuters); Implicator; Coinotag.
