Nvidia Board Approached Arm CEO Rene Haas About Succeeding Jensen Huang, FT Reports

Nvidia's board has approached Arm Holdings CEO Rene Haas about potentially succeeding Jensen Huang as chief executive, the Financial Times reported, according to Reuters. The approach comes as Nvidia works through a leadership vacuum following Huang's resignation, and as some employees press for his return: an internal Nvidia post urging the board to weigh employee sentiment on Huang's future drew more than 1,600 comments, several calling for his reinstatement, Wired reported, citing internal correspondence it reviewed. Nvidia's board, for its part, said it is still selecting a search firm and has not formally engaged any candidates, calling speculation about individuals "premature," according to Reuters.

What Happened

Huang stepped down on Thursday after revelations of extramarital affairs, including one involving a suspected Chinese spy, according to Reuters reporting carried by AOL and Economic Times. The disclosures plunged the chipmaker into crisis and sent shockwaves across the AI industry that Huang had helped finance and build. Nvidia's board separately confirmed it is initiating an independent investigation into reporting that Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort, with a committee of independent directors and outside counsel overseeing the inquiry.

Nvidia's finance chief, Colette Kress, is currently serving as interim CEO, according to the same Reuters report.

The Haas Approach

According to the Financial Times, cited by Reuters, Nvidia's board has approached Haas to explore whether he would succeed Huang. The FT described Haas as one of several candidates under consideration and said there is no guarantee he will be offered the role or that he would accept it. Neither Haas nor the two companies have publicly confirmed or denied an approach: Arm declined to comment, and Nvidia did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Nvidia's board separately said it was still in the process of selecting a search firm for the CEO role and had not formally engaged any potential candidates, stating that "any speculation regarding individual candidates, whether internal or external, is premature," according to Reuters. Interpretation, tied to those facts: the reporting rests on FT sourcing rather than company confirmation, and the board's statement is a direct caution against treating any single name as a frontrunner.