Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia CEO after affairs raise security concerns

Jensen Huang stepped down as Nvidia's chief executive on Thursday after revelations of extramarital affairs — including one with a woman alleged to have worked for Chinese intelligence — ended his 33-year tenure at the company he co-founded.

Nvidia's board, which had initially backed Huang and launched an independent investigation, announced his resignation after further reporting by Reuters that he had also had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare, who reported directly to him. Huang also resigned from the board.

Colette Kress, who has served as Nvidia's chief financial officer since September 2013, was named interim CEO. During her tenure as CFO, Nvidia's annual revenue rose from $4.13bn in fiscal 2013 to $215.9bn in fiscal 2026. The board said it is considering both internal and external candidates for a permanent replacement.

The first affair involved Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based tech company Megaspeed, who is alleged to have worked for Chinese intelligence. The allegations drew particular scrutiny because of Huang's support for allowing Nvidia to sell advanced AI chips to China. In December 2025, President Donald Trump approved the export of Nvidia's H200 chips — about six times more powerful than the H20 models previously available to Chinese buyers — subject to US inspections, shipment limits, restrictions on military use and a 25 percent tariff. Chinese companies reportedly ordered more than two million H200 chips, potentially worth $54bn.

Nvidia's board said it has no reason to believe national security was compromised. Trump offered what a White House correspondent described as a "very forceful defence" of Huang and suggested former Apple chief executive Tim Cook as a successor, writing on Truth Social: "A Legend replaces a Legend." Cook stepped down from Apple in September and now serves as executive chairman. No indication has emerged that Cook is interested in the position.

Nvidia controls an estimated 90 percent of the market for advanced AI chips.