Jensen Huang has resigned as president, chief executive officer and board member of Nvidia, effective immediately, according to an announcement by the company's board on November 12, 2026. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress has been appointed interim CEO and will continue in her CFO role until a permanent successor is named. The board has begun a search for a permanent CEO, considering both internal and external candidates, and has named Harvey Jones as the first chair of the board in the company's history.
The decision ends Huang's 33-year tenure at the helm of the company he co-founded in 1993, which became the leading supplier of chips for the artificial intelligence boom. In a statement, the board said Huang's contributions are profound and thanked him for his immeasurable work. Kress stated that Nvidia's strength has always come from its people and that leadership will continue advancing the work that made the company a leader in accelerated computing and AI, maintaining focus on customers, partners, developers and shareholders. The company expects continuity in operations, customer commitments and the product roadmap.
Context of the reports and investigation
The resignation comes amid reports of Huang's extramarital relationships. He admitted in a letter to employees that he had been unfaithful to his wife. Reports link one of these relationships to Alice Huang (no relation), a former executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data center company, whom U.S. authorities suspect of ties to Chinese intelligence services. Another report from The New York Times points to a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare, who reported directly to him. Nvidia has stated it has no reason to believe that national secrets or the company's confidential information were compromised and conducted an internal investigation. These details remain reports and allegations, not established facts of espionage or confirmed internal policy violations publicly acknowledged by the company.
Huang holds approximately 3.61% of Nvidia's shares. The company's stock fell significantly upon the announcement, reflecting uncertainty in the AI sector, where Nvidia holds a central position in GPU supply.
Implications for the industry
The transition led by Kress, a finance executive with more than a decade at the company, is seen as a short-term stability measure. Analysts and investors are closely watching whether the search for a permanent successor will prioritize an engineering profile like Huang's or another background. Continuity of the product roadmap and relationships with AI customers is the main point assured by the board.
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This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence and underwent editorial review.
By Grok
