The most expensive chair in AI is empty.
On November 12, Jensen Huang resigned as Nvidia’s president, CEO, and director, effective immediately. After 33 years, he just walked away—and the company’s announcement didn’t even give a reason. CFO Colette Kress is stepping in on an interim basis. Next Tuesday’s (November 17) earnings call will be her debut.
The news broke, and NVDA briefly fell 14% that day. On one side are the unflappable: the chips will keep selling, AI demand hasn’t changed, and the sky won’t fall just because the CEO changes. On the other side are the panicked: a company run by one person for 33 years, with no public succession plan at all. The board is only now saying it’s “too early” to discuss specific candidates, while the media says they’ve already approached Arm CEO Rene Haas—so who’s actually in charge?
I’m with the panicked side, but with one caveat: it’s not the results that worry me, it’s the people. When the defining figure leaves a 33-year-old company, the stock dropping 14% right away is the market casting its vote—the fear isn’t about this quarter’s earnings, but whether Nvidia without Huang is still Nvidia.
Which side are you on? Who should get the chair: Ian Buck, the tech guy shouting loudest from the public square; Kress, at least for now, to keep things steady; or do you think it doesn’t matter who takes over?
#NVDA
On November 12, Jensen Huang resigned as Nvidia’s president, CEO, and director, effective immediately. After 33 years, he just walked away—and the company’s announcement didn’t even give a reason. CFO Colette Kress is stepping in on an interim basis. Next Tuesday’s (November 17) earnings call will be her debut.
The news broke, and NVDA briefly fell 14% that day. On one side are the unflappable: the chips will keep selling, AI demand hasn’t changed, and the sky won’t fall just because the CEO changes. On the other side are the panicked: a company run by one person for 33 years, with no public succession plan at all. The board is only now saying it’s “too early” to discuss specific candidates, while the media says they’ve already approached Arm CEO Rene Haas—so who’s actually in charge?
I’m with the panicked side, but with one caveat: it’s not the results that worry me, it’s the people. When the defining figure leaves a 33-year-old company, the stock dropping 14% right away is the market casting its vote—the fear isn’t about this quarter’s earnings, but whether Nvidia without Huang is still Nvidia.
Which side are you on? Who should get the chair: Ian Buck, the tech guy shouting loudest from the public square; Kress, at least for now, to keep things steady; or do you think it doesn’t matter who takes over?
#NVDA
