Three Israelis emerge as possible successors to Nvidia chief Jensen Huang, local media says

Michael Kagan, Eyal Waldman and Johny Srouji are among the names being discussed after Huang’s immediate departure Greenpeace activists hold a banner protesting against Nvidia’s environmental impact as chief executive Jensen Huang delivers a keynote speech at the GTC Berlin AI conference on 21 October 2026 (John MacDougall/AFP) Published date: 14 November 2026 14:47 GMT | Last update: 3 sec ago Three Israeli technology executives have emerged among the possible successors to Jensen Huang, who resigned as chief executive of Nvidia after leading the artificial intelligence chipmaker for more than three decades. Huang’s departure, announced on 12 November, took effect immediately. Nvidia’s board appointed chief financial officer Colette Kress as interim chief executive while it searches for a permanent successor. The company said it would consider both internal and external candidates. Israeli media have named Michael Kagan, Nvidia’s chief technology officer; Eyal Waldman, co-founder and former chief executive of Israeli networking company Mellanox; and Johny Srouji, Apple’s chief hardware officer, as possible contenders. Kagan co-founded Mellanox in 1999 and joined Nvidia after it acquired the company in 2020 for about $6.9bn. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters He has since served as Nvidia’s chief technology officer, focusing on technologies that allow thousands of processors to communicate within large data centres. Waldman also co-founded Mellanox and served as its chief executive before the acquisition. Unlike Kagan, he is no longer part of Nvidia’s management. Ynet has also reported that he is in the succession discussions. Srouji, Apple’s chief hardware officer, is one of the key figures behind the company’s in-house chip development. He joined Apple in 2008 and led the development of processors used in its products, including those underpinning its transition from Intel processors to Apple Silicon. Controversy surrounding Huang Huang’s resignation followed a series of reports about his personal relationships, including an alleged affair with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman who US intelligence agencies reportedly suspect of being an intelligence asset for Beijing. China has rejected the espionage allegation. How Israel's war in Gaza changed big tech Read More » Huang acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife in an email to employees, apologising to his family and colleagues. Nvidia subsequently announced an investigation into whether he had been the target of a foreign intelligence operation. The company's board had been examining Huang’s position before his resignation, according to media reports. Nvidia has not publicly said the reported relationships were the reason for his departure, nor has it established that company secrets or national security information were compromised. The allegations have also raised questions about Nvidia’s business dealings in China, where its advanced AI chips have become a focus of US export-control policy. Among the companies under scrutiny is Megaspeed, which reports have examined for its possible role in helping Chinese companies obtain restricted Nvidia processors. Nvidia said it had “no reason to believe that either national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised” but that its internal investigation would examine the available information. Huang’s departure leaves Nvidia facing a leadership transition as its chips play a central role in the global AI race and its business becomes increasingly entangled in tensions between Washington and Beijing. Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.