Nvidia's Chris Malachowsky cofounded the company and is seen as a potential successor to Huang Daniel Howley · Technology Editor Fri, November 13, 2026 at 12:27 PM EST 2 min read NVDA -3.00% ARM -5.28% Explore stocks on Coinbase Trading disclosure Trading disclosure The above button links to Coinbase. Yahoo Finance is not a broker-dealer or investment adviser and does not offer securities or cryptocurrencies for sale or facilitate trading. Coinbase pays us for certain activity generated through this link. Prices displayed are informational.
With Jensen Huang out as Nvidia (NVDA) CEO following his affair scandals, CFO Colette Kress has taken over as interim CEO.
The company's board is now searching both internally and externally for a permanent replacement for Huang.
Rene Haas, the CEO of Arm Holdings, is a contender, and Ian Buck, Nvidia's head of hyperscale and high-performance computing, is considered an early frontrunner for the position thanks to his strong technical expertise.
Buck created the CUDA software that enables developers to use Nvidia's chips for general-purpose computing, helping turn the company into the AI juggernaut it is today.
Nvidia cofounder Chris Malachowsky could also step in to serve as CEO.
An accomplished engineer with nearly 40 patents to his name, Malachowsky is an Nvidia fellow and senior technology executive, a biography on the company's site states.
Malachowsky has overseen efforts within Nvidia, including its operations and engineering. He's also led its research organization.
But whether Malachowsky, or anyone, for that matter, can fully replace Huang remains to be seen. The former CEO was Nvidia's biggest champion and the face of the AI era.
He hosted enormous keynote events, clad in his signature leather jackets, and traveled the world, drawing massive crowds as an AI ambassador.
He also had the kind of deep connections necessary to attract customers and make investments in a variety of AI-related businesses.
For now, Kress will serve as a steadying force within Nvidia as it seeks to find its footing following the past week's drama.
But the company's board will have to make a decision sooner or later, and whoever it chooses will determine the future of one of the world's most important companies. Sounds easy.
Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com. Follow him on X at @DanielHowley or reach out on Signal or Telegram.
