US President Donald J. Trump said on Thursday (12 November) that former Apple chief executive Tim Cook should succeed Jensen Huang at the helm of Nvidia.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social that day, Trump wrote: “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”
“A Legend replaces a Legend!”
Trump has no formal say in who leads chip giant Nvidia, which is at the heart of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. But his rare public intervention highlights his close ties with both Huang and Cook.
Cook stepped down as Apple’s chief executive in September this year but remains executive chairman of its board. He is also among the tech titans who have made frequent visits to the White House since Trump returned to office.
In August last year, as Trump threatened steep tariffs on technology products manufactured overseas, Cook appeared alongside him in the Oval Office to announce that Apple would increase its investment in the US to US$600 billion (about S$772.2 billion).
He also brought a lavish gift of the kind Trump favours: a custom-engraved piece of glass made by iPhone glass manufacturer Corning, mounted on a 24-carat solid gold base. Trump had repeatedly criticised Apple for not manufacturing iPhones in the US, and the gift helped ease tensions between him and Cook.
Cook also accompanied Trump on a visit to China in May this year. In September, he and Huang attended a grand state dinner hosted by Trump at the White House for Chinese President Xi Jinping.
