Trump calls for Apple’s Tim Cook to replace Jensen Huang at Nvidia

• Trump said Tim Cook should replace Jensen Huang at Nvidia after Huang resigned over affair claims, including one involving an alleged Chinese spy.
• Trump praised both men, but his intervention raised questions about what he knew and when, after reports he was briefed by Marco Rubio in May.
• Cook remains close to Trump after Apple promised US$600 billion in US investment, while Nvidia stays central to the AI race.

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said on Nov 12 that former Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook should replace Jensen Huang at Nvidia, after Huang quit over revelations of two affairs, including one with an alleged Chinese spy.

“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,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.

“A Legend replaces a Legend!”

Trump has no formal say in who should run chip giant Nvidia, which is at the centre of the AI revolution, but his extraordinary intervention underscores his close ties to both Huang and Cook.

During his second presidency, Trump has treated Nvidia co-founder Huang as a close adviser, even bringing him on board Air Force One for a state visit to China in May.

After allegations emerged about Huang’s ties to Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang, Trump this week defended the Nvidia boss and said he had no idea Alice Huang was allegedly spying for Beijing.

Trump added that Jensen Huang, who is not related to Alice Huang, was “suffering greatly” and described the Taiwanese-born tech boss as “an amazing guy”.

But Trump still faces questions over what he knew about the allegations – and when he knew.

The New York Times reported earlier this week that Trump was informed about the allegations by Secretary of State Marco Rubio aboard Air Force One in May – shortly before picking up Huang in Alaska for the flight to Beijing.

Cook – who stood down as Apple CEO in September but remains executive chair of its board of directors – is another of the tech titans who have swarmed around the White House since Trump’s return.

In August 2025, Cook appeared in the Oval Office with Trump to announce that Apple would increase its investments in the United States to US$600 billion (S$770 billion), as Trump threatened huge tariffs on tech products made abroad.

He also brought one of the flashy presents that Trump loves – a custom-engraved glass piece made by iPhone glassmaker Corning, set in a 24-carat gold base.

The gift helped smooth relations between Cook and Trump, who had repeatedly criticised Apple in the past for not manufacturing its iPhones in the United States.

Cook also accompanied Trump to China in May, and both he and Huang attended the lavish state banquet that the US president held at the White House for Xi in September. AFP