Headhunters said to be exploring successors amid affair fallout

AMD's Lisa Su, Arm's Rene Haas emerge as leading candidates

Haas seen as more realistic pick given Nvidia background

Nvidia says Huang will remain at the helm

AMD CEO Lisa Su (center) visits Samsung Electronics' Seocho office in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Saturday. Su met with Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and CEO Jeon Young-hyun, who also heads the semiconductor division, and other senior executives during the visit. [Joint press corps]
AMD CEO Lisa Su (center) visits Samsung Electronics' Seocho office in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Saturday. Su met with Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and CEO Jeon Young-hyun, who also heads the semiconductor division, and other senior executives during the visit. [Joint press corps]

Speculation that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang could step down over an extramarital affair scandal has put AMD CEO Lisa Su and Arm CEO Rene Haas in the frame as potential successors. Nvidia, however, drew a line under the exit talk, saying Huang will continue to lead the company.

Taiwan's Liberty Times and other outlets reported Wednesday, citing US technology publication The Information, that headhunters may have begun searching for a successor in anticipation of a possible voluntary resignation by Huang.

Su is considered one of the leading potential candidates. She has earned wide recognition in the semiconductor industry for driving AMD's earnings growth. Her candidacy faces hurdles, however: AMD and Nvidia are direct rivals in the AI chip market, and the fact that Huang and Su are distant relatives adds another layer of complexity.

Rene Haas, who leads British chip designer Arm, has also emerged as a candidate. Haas spent seven years at Nvidia earlier in his career, giving him a deep understanding of the company's inner workings and the broader semiconductor industry. That background leads some analysts to consider him a more realistic successor than Su.

The possibility of an internal appointment has also been raised. One source said the likelihood of Huang's resignation is very high and suggested that Nvidia Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress could serve as interim CEO. Kress is regarded as a finance specialist with no engineering background, however, which analysts say limits her viability as a long-term candidate.

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and has led the company for more than 30 years. He still receives direct reports from roughly 60 senior executives and remains deeply involved in day-to-day management, leading observers to warn that his departure could leave a significant leadership vacuum.

The controversy erupted after Alice Huang, Huang's extramarital partner, was identified as a suspected Chinese spy. In a message to employees on Sunday, Huang acknowledged the affair and apologized, saying he hoped to "regain your trust." Allegations linking Alice Huang to Chinese intelligence have not been confirmed.

Nvidia said Huang will remain as CEO and shrugged off the possibility of his resignation. None of the potential successors currently being discussed have been identified through any official succession process.


sjy@heraldcorp.com