It is almost inconceivable that Nvidia could fire its rock star CEO. Yet here we are, standing on the precipice of this happening. Over at prediction markets like Kalshi, Jensen Huang’s odds of surviving the week are sitting at a lowly 30%. Even though he built one of the world’s most valuable—and, as many would argue, dangerously powerful—companies, the tides have completely turned against him.
The crisis unfolded after Huang confessed to an extramarital affair. As the situation developed, it became a focal point of intense corporate and public scrutiny, compounded by conflicting reports regarding the individuals involved. According to an explosive report published by The New York Times, which cited five sources, the paramours included Kimberly Powell, an Nvidia executive who reports directly to him, as well as questions surrounding Alice Huang, a Chinese executive previously suspected by U.S. intelligence of spying for her home country.
Even if Huang is ultimately pushed out as CEO, the board members he has made immensely wealthy are unlikely to cut him loose entirely. Barring another shoe dropping, corporate governance experts suggest they could keep him on as chairman, a strategic role that Nvidia does not currently fill with a standalone executive. But someone still has to run the day-to-day operations of the tech giant, and the lack of an apparent succession plan leaves industry observers, investors, and analysts to speculate while waiting to see what happens next. While Huang’s 60 direct reports undoubtedly face closer scrutiny from the board and investigators, the tech community has engaged in an intense parlor game to identify potential successors, featuring both obvious and unexpected candidates.
Among the external names floated is Lisa Su, CEO of AMD. Running Nvidia’s most credible rival, Su is also a distant cousin of Huang. While publications like The Information have floated her name this week, industry watchers immediately question why she would leave her post at AMD for the hot seat at Nvidia. Her company stands to benefit from every single day that Nvidia remains distracted by internal investigations, congressional briefings, and the mini-dramas sure to follow. From a strategic standpoint, her best move might simply be to send a polite note and keep her current corner office.
Another prominent name discussed is Eric Schmidt, the former Google CEO. Schmidt was the pick of Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean for leadership studies at the Yale School of Management, who noted earlier this week that Schmidt could parachute in tomorrow and do a very good job. Schmidt certainly boasts a diverse resume: he ran Google from 2001 to 2011, chaired the National Security Commission on AI from 2018 to 2021, and currently runs the rocket company Relativity Space. Spanning chips, software, government relations, and aerospace, it is an undeniably impressive range of experience. However, Schmidt brings considerable baggage concerning his own past extramarital dalliances, making it difficult to envision him clearing a rigorous corporate board review for that reason.
Lip-Bu Tan, CEO of Intel, represents another fascinating chip industry figure who might welcome a change of scenery. Last month, Intel reported third-quarter revenue up 21% to $16.5 billion, only to warn that its fourth-quarter results would fall short of Wall Street forecasts. The broader artificial intelligence boom has triggered a severe memory-chip shortage, pushing up personal computer prices and ultimately cutting PC sales. Because PC chips remain a major part of Intel’s business, the company took a heavy hit, with its stock plunging 20% in after-hours trading following the warning, having already slid more than 30% since September. For Tan, a move to a company dominating the entire tech landscape would serve as an extraordinary escape hatch.
Bret Taylor, the former Salesforce co-CEO and OpenAI board chair who now runs the AI startup Sierra, also enters the conversation. His extensive resume includes stints at some of the biggest brands in Silicon Valley. Taylor co-created Google Maps, served as Facebook’s chief technology officer, and chaired Twitter’s board through its tumultuous sale to Elon Musk. He subsequently stepped in as OpenAI’s board chair following the brief ousting and fast return of CEO Sam Altman. Whenever modern tech companies need an unflappable, likable adult in the room during a crisis, they tend to call Taylor, who likely knows nearly every major enterprise customer currently doing business with Nvidia.
If the board feels strongly about maintaining a builder at the helm, insiders suggest they could do much worse than Ian Buck. As the Nvidia vice president who helped develop CUDA—the proprietary chip software that became central to Nvidia’s absolute dominance in artificial intelligence—Buck is well-respected internally. Analysts and former employees have floated him as a viable successor, and Kalshi traders give him a middling shot at the role. While he is far from a household name, the Stanford PhD appears more plausible if Huang manages to retain a chairman title and advocate for a successor with whom he can effectively collaborate.
Looking deeper down the hall at Nvidia, internal candidates are also under evaluation. Andrew Bell, Nvidia’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, arrived 25 years ago as a fresh Cornell graduate and has enjoyed a steady upward trajectory ever since. Like Buck and dozens of other executives currently facing board scrutiny, Bell reports directly to Huang. While Nvidia Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress is the internal figure most frequently named by market commentators, analysts note that she is not necessarily a natural successor in terms of technological innovation and visionary product design, whereas Bell possesses the definitive chip engineering pedigree.
Finally, a compelling wild card exists in Lori Huang. Though unmentioned by conventional industry gossip, a strong case can be made for continuity. Jensen met his wife as lab partners at Oregon State University, meaning she has worked alongside him since before Nvidia even existed. After graduating, she worked at Silicon Graphics as a microchip engineer—earning a higher salary than her husband during their early years, as Huang has previously recounted—before scaling back to raise their family. Today, she co-leads the family trusts. If the board prioritizes deep institutional knowledge, stability, and a trusted partner who understands the company’s DNA from its inception, they could do far worse than a brilliant co-founder of the broader Huang legacy.
Whatever happens next, clarity is expected soon as the board navigates one of the most critical leadership crises in Silicon Valley history.