Elon Musk has said he would be honoured to hire Jensen Huang, adding an unexpected twist to the leadership uncertainty surrounding Nvidia as directors consider the future of its longtime chief executive.
Responding on X to a post urging him to recruit Huang, Musk wrote: “That would be an honor.”
The exchange followed reports that Nvidia’s board was discussing whether to remove the man who co-founded the AI chipmaker in 1993.
Elon Musk’s remark raises the stakes for Nvidia
Musk’s response came after ZeroHedge posted: “Elon please hire Jensen.” His brief endorsement quickly attracted attention because Tesla and his artificial intelligence businesses are substantial users of advanced computing hardware.
Tesla is developing autonomous driving systems and humanoid robots, while xAI is expanding the infrastructure needed to train and run large AI models. Huang’s knowledge of processors, software and global supply chains would be valuable across those operations.
Business Insider noted a precedent in Oracle’s 2010 recruitment of former Hewlett-Packard chief Mark Hurd after his departure from the computer company.
That episode illustrates how an unexpected leadership exit can create an opportunity elsewhere, but it offers no evidence that Musk has begun negotiations with Huang.
Nvidia supplies important technology to Musk’s businesses, making the public exchange especially striking.
Nvidia’s board confronts a succession dilemma
Nvidia announced an independent investigation on 8 November after reports that a foreign intelligence operation had targeted Huang.
The company said it had no reason to believe national security or proprietary information had been compromised, and expressed confidence in its chief executive.
Two days later, independent directors retained former acting US Attorney Joon H. Kim and law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to lead the review.
On Wednesday, Reuters reported that directors were meeting to weigh Huang’s future, after The Wall Street Journal said the board was preparing to remove him.
The question extends beyond the investigation, as Huang has built a relatively flat management structure, with no publicly designated successor.
Jason Schloetzer, a Georgetown University governance expert, told Fortune that a possible solution would be to keep Huang under greater scrutiny, describing it as “stay, with less”.
Directors could appoint a clear deputy and strengthen succession planning. His assessment preceded the reports of a possible dismissal.
What a departure would mean for Nvidia and Musk
Nvidia stock finished Wednesday up 2.87% at $173.73, before falling more than 8% in extended trading after reports about Huang’s future. The reversal illustrates investors’ sensitivity to leadership risk, even when demand for AI processors remains robust.
Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore described Huang as crucial to Nvidia’s strategic direction.
Although the bank removed Nvidia from its Top Picks list after a sharp decline, it kept an Overweight rating and a $300 target, reflecting confidence in AI infrastructure demand.
Josh Gilbert, lead analyst at eToro, told Reuters that Nvidia’s customers would not suddenly stop buying chips without Huang. Nevertheless, the difficulty of valuing a company that has never had another chief executive could weigh on confidence.
Nvidia’s CUDA software, chip designs and cloud partnerships would not vanish with a change at the top.
But decisions on future products, export restrictions and customer investment would face greater scrutiny.
AI disclosure: AI tools assisted with research and drafting of this piece. An Invezz editor reviewed the facts, sources and wording before publication. Any opinions or analysis are Invezz’s, not those of an automated system.
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