Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang Resigns Following Disclosure of Affairs

Jensen Huang has resigned as chief executive of semiconductor manufacturer Nvidia following revelations regarding two extramarital affairs. The departure of the 63-year-old co-founder leaves the leadership of the world's second most valuable company open during a key period for the expansion of artificial intelligence technology.

The resignation occurred on Thursday after Nvidia's board convened to address the public disclosure of the relationships. Reports first emerged on 29 October in the New York Times detailing a relationship between Huang and Alice Huang, a businesswoman linked to the Singapore-based firm Megaspeed. According to American officials, she is an asset of Chinese intelligence services. Huang subsequently acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife and issued a statement of apology to his family.

A second report on Wednesday disclosed an additional relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, who has been employed at the company for 18 years. Following the meeting of the corporate board, the semiconductor maker announced that Huang would step down from his role.

Nvidia holds a central position in the global technology sector, carrying a market valuation of nearly 4 trillion US dollars. The company manufactures the primary processing circuits and microchips required for training and operating advanced artificial intelligence models. Its customer base includes major technology corporations such as Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, SpaceX, Tesla, OpenAI, and Anthropic.

The executive transition comes amid competition between the United States and China over technological developments in computing. Huang had built relationships with political leaders in both nations, holding meetings with both US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Following the initial report, President Trump expressed support for Huang, describing him as honourable. After the resignation was announced, Trump stated that Huang had done a fantastic job and publicly suggested Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook as a potential candidate to lead Nvidia.

Huang founded Nvidia in 1993 alongside his wife Lori Mills, whom he met while studying electrical engineering at Oregon State University. Born in Taiwan in 1963, he relocated to the west coast of the United States at the age of nine and later completed a master's degree at Stanford University. The couple's two children, Madison and Spencer, both occupy senior positions within Nvidia. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Huang’s personal net worth is estimated at 145 billion dollars.

Stephen Witt, author of a biography on Huang, stated to the BBC that the former executive was a demanding manager who was instrumental in developing modern hardware for artificial intelligence. Witt added that Huang had consistently worked to project an image focused on his family life.

Nvidia has not yet announced a permanent executive successor to fill the chief executive post. The company's board has also not specified a public timeline for selecting a replacement.

Written by Thomas Nussbaumer thomas.nussbaumer@alpineweekly.com