The key facts

  • Nvidia's board of directors approached Arm CEO Rene Haas about succeeding Jensen Huang
  • Haas worked at Nvidia from 2006 to 2013 and, according to FT sources, maintains good relations with Huang
  • CFO Colette Kress has been appointed interim chief executive

Candidate for the Top Job at Nvidia

Nvidia's board of directors has approached Rene Haas, head of the British chip developer Arm, as part of its search for a possible successor to Jensen Huang as the company's chief executive. According to the Financial Times, citing sources familiar with the situation, Haas is among several contenders for the position, but there is no guarantee that an offer will be made to him specifically or that he would accept it.

Haas's Connection to the Company

According to the Financial Times report, Haas previously worked at Nvidia from 2006 to 2013 and maintains good relations with Huang and a number of board members. Arm declined to comment, and Nvidia did not provide a prompt response to the publication's request.

Context of the Resignation

On November 12, Nvidia announced that Huang had resigned as chief executive. CFO Colette Kress has been appointed interim head of the company. Earlier, Nvidia employees had not supported his resignation.

Investigation and Huang's Letter

Earlier this month, Nvidia launched an independent investigation following reports of an alleged Chinese espionage operation against Huang. The trigger was publications about his romantic relationship with entrepreneur Alice Huang, whom US intelligence agencies suspect of cooperating with Chinese intelligence. In an open letter, Huang admitted to employees of the company that he had been unfaithful in his marriage, apologized to colleagues, the board of directors and shareholders, and promised to work on restoring their trust.