November 13, 2026, (Inside AI) — NVIDIA's board of directors met on Wednesday to determine the future of CEO Jensen Huang, and the succession race has narrowed to two internal candidates: CFO Colette Kress and AI hardware chief Ian Buck. The meeting follows a turbulent week that erased $600 billion from the company's market value, according to sources familiar with the matter. Prediction market Polymarket now gives Huang an 83% chance of resignation or removal by year end.
The high-stakes decision comes as NVIDIA, the world's leading designer of AI chips, faces mounting pressure from investors and analysts. Huang, a co-founder who has led the company for 33 years, built NVIDIA into the central supplier of hardware for AI training and inference. His potential departure raises questions about leadership continuity and the company's strategic direction. The board's choice will shape not only NVIDIA's future but also the broader AI economy, which relies heavily on its technology.
Kress, who joined NVIDIA in 2013 after stints at Microsoft, Cisco, and Texas Instruments, has been a steady voice for Wall Street. She has participated in every quarterly earnings call alongside Huang for 13 years, providing a familiar face to investors. Some board members reportedly favor appointing her as interim CEO to stabilize the ship during the transition. Analysts note that her financial expertise and deep understanding of NVIDIA's business make her a safe pair of hands.
However, several observers argue that NVIDIA's competitive edge stems from its technology, and the permanent role demands an engineer. That is where Ian Buck enters the picture. Buck joined NVIDIA in 2004 and helped launch AI computing on the company's hardware. He led the development of CUDA, the software platform that locks developers into NVIDIA's chip ecosystem. Currently, he runs the hyperscale AI business, managing both hardware and software products. Buck holds a PhD from Stanford for research that directly led to NVIDIA's AI-focused software strategy. On Polymarket, Buck leads the succession odds, with Kress second.
Can A Dual Leadership Structure Work?
Some analysts suggest NVIDIA might avoid choosing between them entirely. A co-CEO structure with Kress handling business and finance while Buck leads technology and product strategy represents what one portfolio manager called "the best of both worlds." Because finding a permanent replacement takes time, an interim dual-leadership arrangement buys the board room to conduct a thorough external search.
External candidates also exist. Arm CEO Rene Haas, a former NVIDIA executive, draws attention because of his semiconductor industry experience and high public profile. Additionally, 32-year NVIDIA veteran Jeff Fisher and Huang's two children, both NVIDIA executives, appeared in speculation. However, insiders view Buck and Kress as the strongest immediate options.
Read: Nvidia Board Weighs Huang's Fate as AI Trade Trembles
The board's decision will have far-reaching implications. NVIDIA's chips power the vast majority of AI training and inference worldwide. Whoever takes the CEO role inherits not just a company but a position at the center of the global AI economy. The coming weeks will reveal whether the board opts for continuity with Kress, technical leadership with Buck, or a novel dual structure.
Shamil has a low tolerance for AI that only works in controlled demos. He covers agentic systems and generative AI with the skepticism of someone who has seen too many “revolutionary” tools quietly disappear six months after launch.
