WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that former Apple CEO Tim Cook should replace Jensen Huang at Nvidia, after Huang resigned following revelations of two alleged affairs, including one with a woman accused of being a Chinese spy.
“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,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.
“A Legend replaces a Legend!”
Trump has no formal say in who should run chip giant Nvidia, which is at the centre of the AI revolution, but his extraordinary intervention underscores his close ties to both Huang and Cook.
During his second presidency, Trump has treated Nvidia co-founder Huang as a close adviser, even bringing him aboard Air Force One for a state visit to China in May.
After allegations emerged about Huang’s ties to Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang, Trump defended the Nvidia boss this week, saying he had no idea that Alice Huang was allegedly spying for Beijing.
Trump added that Jensen Huang, who is not related to Alice Huang, was “suffering greatly” and described the Taiwanese-born tech boss as “an amazing guy”.
But Trump still faces questions over what he knew about the allegations — and when he knew.
The New York Times reported earlier this week that Trump had been informed of the allegations by Secretary of State Marco Rubio aboard Air Force One in May, shortly before picking up Huang in Alaska for the flight to Beijing.
Cook — who stepped down as Apple CEO in September but remains executive chairman of its board of directors — is another tech titan to have gravitated towards the White House since Trump’s return.
In August 2025, Cook appeared in the Oval Office with Trump to announce that Apple would increase its investments in the United States to $600 billion, as Trump threatened to impose hefty tariffs on tech products made abroad.
He also brought one of the flashy gifts Trump favours — a custom-engraved glass piece made by iPhone glassmaker Corning and set on a 24-karat gold base.
The gift helped smooth relations between Cook and Trump, who had repeatedly criticised Apple for not manufacturing its iPhones in the United States.
Cook also accompanied Trump to China in May, and both he and Huang attended the lavish state banquet the US president hosted at the White House for Xi in September.
