Nvidia Arm CEO Haas Eyed as Huang Successor

Nvidia’s board has approached Arm CEO Haas about succeeding Jensen Huang, the Financial Times reported on Friday, as the chipmaker looks for a new leader after Huang’s sudden exit.

Haas is among several candidates the board is considering, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the matter. There is no guarantee he will be offered the job or accept it. Nvidia finance chief Colette Kress is serving as interim chief executive.

Haas knows Nvidia from the inside. He spent seven formative years at the company, rising to vice president and general manager of its computing products business, before joining Arm in 2013. He became Arm chief executive in 2022 and led the company through its Nasdaq listing in 2023.

Arm designs processor architectures and sells licences to firms that turn them into chips. Its designs have long powered mobile phones, and the company is now pushing into computers.

Why the Nvidia Arm CEO Haas search matters

Huang stepped down on Thursday after reports of extramarital affairs, including one involving a woman identified in United States media as a suspected Chinese spy. The crisis has shaken the chipmaker and raised hard questions about its dealings in China.

At the centre of the scandal is Megaspeed, a Singapore firm suspected of helping Chinese companies get around American export controls by buying Nvidia chips for data centres in South-East Asia and routing them to China. The firm reportedly traded more than $4 billion worth of Nvidia chips over two years. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has already blamed the Commerce Department for failing to blacklist the firm.

Huang acknowledged an extramarital affair in a letter to Nvidia staff on November 8, without naming the woman involved. He resigned four days later. Nvidia’s board has said it will investigate, and three United States Congress committee chairs have asked Huang to attend a closed-door briefing on November 18.

The choice of successor will shape how Nvidia handles American export controls and its access to the Chinese market. Huang had pushed to keep selling to China and built close ties with President Donald Trump. His exit could change United States chip export policy and the wider AI supply chain.

Markets react as succession race starts

Arm’s United States-listed shares pared losses after the report and were down more than 5 per cent. Nvidia shares were down over 3 per cent, and fell a further 3 per cent in extended trading. In Asia, shares of Naver, a Nvidia customer, fell 2.75 per cent.

Arm declined to comment on the report. Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters, which said it could not independently verify the story.

Investors will now watch whether the board moves fast. A long search would leave the chipmaker without a permanent chief at a moment when export rules, a board inquiry and a Congress briefing are all in play.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent blamed Commerce for failing to blacklist Megaspeed. Huang stepped down as chief executive this week. Nvidia lost $1 trillion in market value as the scandal spread. China and the US have traded spy claims as the tech blockade tightens. Chip supply problems have already delayed the iPhone 18.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Rene Haas?

Haas is the chief executive of Arm, the British chip designer, a post he has held since 2022. He spent seven years at Nvidia earlier in his career, rising to vice president and general manager of its computing products business, before joining Arm in 2013.

Has Haas been offered the Nvidia job?

No. The Financial Times reported that Nvidia’s board has approached him as one of several candidates, with no guarantee he will be offered the job or accept it. Finance chief Colette Kress is interim chief executive.

Why did Jensen Huang resign?

Huang acknowledged an extramarital affair in a November 8 letter to staff and resigned on Thursday. United States media identified a former associate, Alice Huang, as an alleged Chinese intelligence asset. The two are not related, and Beijing has denied the spying claims.

What is Megaspeed accused of?

Megaspeed is suspected of helping Chinese firms evade United States export controls by buying Nvidia chips for data centres in South-East Asia and routing them to China. It reportedly traded more than $4 billion worth of Nvidia chips in two years.

What happens next?

Nvidia’s board has said it will investigate, and three United States Congress committee chairs have asked Huang to attend a closed-door briefing on November 18. The board’s search for a permanent chief executive continues.