Martha Udom
Jensen Huang has resigned as President, Chief Executive Officer and board member of NVIDIA, ending his 33-year leadership of the technology company behind some of the world’s most widely used artificial intelligence chips.
NVIDIA announced the resignation on Thursday, November 12, following a decision by its board to accept his departure with immediate effect. The company’s Chief Financial Officer, Colette Kress, has been appointed interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent successor.
The board also appointed Harvey C. Jones as its first-ever chairman and said it would consider both internal and external candidates for the vacant position.
Huang’s resignation followed reports of two extramarital relationships that raised concerns about corporate governance and possible national security implications.
On Sunday, Huang reportedly admitted in a letter to employees that he had been unfaithful to his wife, apologising to his family and colleagues.
The admission followed reports linking him to Alice Huang, a former senior executive at Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed. US intelligence officials reportedly suspect Alice Huang of having links to Chinese intelligence.
The New York Times subsequently reported on Wednesday that Huang had also been involved in a relationship with Kimberly Powell, NVIDIA’s Vice President of Healthcare, who reportedly reported directly to him.
Huang has denied compromising national security or sharing NVIDIA’s confidential information. The company’s board also said it had no reason to believe that national security or its confidential information had been compromised.
NVIDIA’s board had initially expressed confidence in Huang on Sunday while announcing an independent investigation into whether he had been targeted in a foreign intelligence operation. However, the board met on Wednesday evening to deliberate on his position following the emergence of the second report.
The resignation announcement triggered a decline in NVIDIA’s share price, with the stock falling sharply during Thursday’s trading session.
Huang, 63, co-founded NVIDIA in 1993 and led its transformation into a leading supplier of chips powering the artificial intelligence industry. He owns approximately 3.6 per cent of the company’s shares.
Kress, 59, joined NVIDIA in September 2013 and has led its finance organisation since then. She will retain her positions as Executive Vice President and CFO while serving as interim CEO.
US President Donald Trump has suggested that Apple CEO Tim Cook should replace Huang as NVIDIA’s chief executive.
NVIDIA said it would release its third-quarter fiscal 2027 results as scheduled on November 17. Huang has also reportedly been asked to appear at a closed-door congressional briefing the following day.
