Nvidia approaches Arm’s Rene Haas as employees push for Jensen Huang’s return

Nvidia’s board has approached Arm CEO Rene Haas as a potential successor to Jensen Huang, the Financial Times reported on Friday. Inside the company, a sizable share of the workforce appears to want a different outcome: the old boss back.

A succession search and an internal revolt

Huang stepped down on Thursday, November 12, 2026, giving up his roles as president, CEO and member of the board. His exit followed revelations of extramarital affairs, one of which reportedly involved a suspected Chinese spy.

The resignation came during an internal board investigation into allegations of personal misconduct. Those allegations also reportedly include accusations tied to workplace relationships.

According to the FT, the board has since reached out to Haas, who runs Arm Holdings. No final pick has been made, so for now the approach is exactly that: an approach, not a hire.

Meanwhile, Wired reported on Thursday that an internal Nvidia post had drawn more than 1,600 comments. The post asked the board to weigh employee sentiment when deciding Huang’s future, and several commenters called for him to be reinstated, according to internal correspondence Wired said it reviewed.

In the interim, the company has a new leadership arrangement. Colette Kress is serving as interim CEO, and Harvey Jones has taken on the role of board chair.

The board has also signaled where its priorities lie. It has stressed putting US national and economic security first while an independent investigation proceeds.

Arm’s stock feels the tremor

Markets did not wait for the board to finish deliberating. Arm shares fell nearly 10% during trading on November 13 before recovering part of the loss to close down approximately 4.63%.

The end of an unusually long tenure

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and led it for more than 33 years.

The circumstances of the departure add another layer. An alleged personal relationship involving a suspected intelligence source is not a typical governance headache. It touches on national security, which is why the board’s public emphasis on US security interests matters.

What this means for Nvidia, Arm and their investors

Reinstating Huang would create its own complications. The board would have to reconcile a return with an ongoing investigation and its stated security priorities.

For Arm, if Haas were to take the Nvidia job, Arm would face its own succession search. The near-10% intraday drop on November 13 shows how quickly markets can react to even the possibility.

Several things are worth watching from here. The first is whether the board formally names a candidate, and whether Haas is that person. The second is what the independent investigation concludes, since its findings could shape how the board handles both the succession and any talk of a Huang return.

The third is how Nvidia’s workforce responds once a decision is made. An internal thread with more than 1,600 comments is a signal that employees are paying close attention.