Nvidia co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang has repeatedly stated his intention to lead the company for as long as possible. However, an investigation into whether he was the target of foreign intelligence operations following reports of his romance has once again drawn attention to a question Nvidia rarely discusses: who could take over if Huang steps down or is forced out?
On Sunday, Huang acknowledged having a romantic relationship in a message to employees. Following this, Nvidia's board of directors announced an independent investigation to determine if he was subjected to a targeted attack by foreign intelligence. The board expressed confidence in Huang and stated that there were no grounds to believe that national security or the company's trade secrets had been compromised.
In a statement to Business Insider, Nvidia also emphasized that 'Jensen intends to continue leading Nvidia as CEO without interruption.' Nevertheless, this incident has once again raised the topic of succession planning at Nvidia. Huang, who founded the company over thirty years ago, remains closely involved in its operations, with about 60 executives reporting directly to him.
Who could replace Jensen Huang?
Nevertheless, analysts do not expect Huang to leave his post. Bob O'Donnell, president, founder, and chief analyst at TECHnalysis Research, noted that Nvidia hires over 40,000 people worldwide and has 'many other great leaders' within the company, but he does not predict Huang's departure.
Analyst Bernstein Stacy Rasgon gave a similar assessment to CNBC, stating: 'Jensen is Nvidia. Nvidia is Jensen.' He described Huang as someone who manages the company from the top and effectively pulls the strings.
However, Huang owns only about 3.6 percent of Nvidia shares and does not hold controlling voting rights. If Huang were to leave or be removed by the board of directors, speculation has focused on several executives, including CFO Colette Kress and Nvidia co-founder Chris Malachowsky, according to the Associated Press.
According to analysts quoted by Business Insider, Kress is one of the most prominent senior executives at the company and could be considered for the role of interim CEO. She has worked at Nvidia for 13 years, overseeing its finances during a period of rapid growth, and previously held financial positions at Cisco and Microsoft.
Another name being discussed is Ian Buck, a long-time Nvidia executive who helped develop CUDA, the software platform that has become central to Nvidia's AI computing business. Buck, who has worked at Nvidia for 22 years, leads the data center and computing divisions, which constitute the bulk of the company's revenue. Analysts and former employees mentioned by Business Insider consider him a potential long-term successor due to his technical expertise and understanding of Nvidia's core business.
Malachowsky, in turn, could play an important role in any leadership transition. As one of the co-founders of Nvidia alongside Huang and Curtis Priem, he remains a senior technology leader at the company.
Could Huang's children take on leadership roles?
There is also speculation that Nvidia's leadership could ultimately remain in the Huang family. Both of Huang's children, Madison and Spencer, work in the company in management positions. Madison holds the position of Senior Director of Product Marketing, whose responsibilities relate to Nvidia's physical business in AI, while Spencer works as a product line manager in its robotics division.
Business Insider, citing a former employee, reported that Madison is taking on increasing authority in various areas of Nvidia's operations, which could potentially prepare her for a larger leadership role. Although Huang has reportedly expressed a desire for one of his children to eventually run the company, Nvidia has not disclosed a family succession plan, nor has any child been publicly named as a potential CEO successor.
