Key takeaways
- President Trump posted on Truth Social that “there is only one man” to replace Jensen Huang at Nvidia: Tim Cook, Apple’s executive chairman.
- Cook still sits at the top of Apple’s board, and there is no sign Trump spoke to Cook or to Nvidia’s board before posting.
- My view: a president choosing the boss of a private company is the scandal here, not Huang’s private life. And this is what $25 million for a ballroom buys.
On November 12, 2026, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that “there is only one man” to take Jensen Huang’s place at Nvidia, Tim Cook of Apple, calling it “A Legend replaces a Legend!” Cook is Apple’s executive chairman after handing the CEO job to John Ternus, and Nvidia’s board is reportedly also looking at Apple’s chip chief Johny Srouji.
In this article: A president is not a recruiter · $25 million and a gold plaque · Cook is the wrong man for an AI company · What it would mean for Apple · FAQ
A president is not a recruiter
A few hours. That’s how long it took after Huang’s resignation before the president of the United States told a private company who should lead it. Not the board. Not the shareholders. A post on Truth Social.
I wrote this morning that someone may have been happy to see Huang go. Now I watch the most powerful man in America already handing out his chair. I can’t prove anything, and I won’t pretend I can. But the speed says a lot.
And look at the words: Huang “has done a fantastic job.” So if he did such a fantastic job, why is everyone in such a hurry to fill his seat with their own man?
$25 million and a gold plaque
I already wrote about Apple’s $25 million for Trump’s ballroom. Before that came a gold plaque in the Oval Office, a $600 billion promise and an exemption from chip tariffs. And now Trump calls Cook a legend and wants him at the most important AI company in the world.
To me, this is the same deal, one more step. Companies pay for peace with power, and power pays back with favors. It’s not friendship, it’s business, and we pay for it through the prices of our gadgets.
Cook is the wrong man for an AI company
Tim Cook is a genius of supply chains and money. Nobody can take that from him. But Nvidia is the heart of AI, and under Cook, Apple fell years behind in AI. Siri AI came late and runs on someone else’s brain. So the man who missed the AI wave should now lead the company that rides it?
And Cook is still the chairman of Apple’s board. You can’t sit at the top of Apple and run its rival at the same time. In my opinion, Trump either doesn’t know this or doesn’t care.
What it would mean for Apple
Apple and Nvidia haven’t worked together on Mac graphics for years. Imagine Apple’s chairman suddenly running Nvidia. Whose side would he be on?
My guess: Cook stays where he is, Nvidia’s board picks someone else, and in a few weeks Trump says it was his idea. But the message is already out. Big companies don’t belong only to their shareholders anymore. They belong a little to whoever sits in the White House.
Also on Evolt News: Jensen Huang fell over his private life · Apple gave $25 million for Trump’s ballroom · Ternus pushes Federighi to go faster
Featured image: The White House. Photo: DJTechYT / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
This article is opinion.
Trump and Tim Cook at Nvidia: FAQ
What did Trump say about Tim Cook and Nvidia?
On Truth Social, he wrote that “there is only one man” to replace Jensen Huang, “TIM COOK of Apple,” and added “A Legend replaces a Legend!”
Is Tim Cook still Apple’s CEO?
No. John Ternus is CEO. Cook is Apple’s executive chairman.
Did Nvidia respond?
There is no public sign that Nvidia’s board or Cook responded to the post.
Who is running Nvidia now?
CFO Colette Kress is interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent one.
Who else is Nvidia reportedly considering?
Semafor reports the board is considering Apple’s hardware technologies chief Johny Srouji.
What is Cook’s history with Trump?
Cook met Trump many times, gave him a gold plaque in the Oval Office, and Apple pledged $25 million to his White House ballroom.
Sources: Truth Social, 9to5Mac, AppleInsider, Semafor, Nvidia.
Our Take
A president naming the boss of a private company is the real story, not the name he picked. It shows how close big tech and power have become.
Cook will most likely stay at Apple. But Trump’s message is already clear, and it’s not a good one for companies, or for us.
