Jensen Huang has resigned as president and chief executive of Nvidia, bringing an end to his 33-year leadership of the chipmaker following revelations about two relationships that triggered a corporate crisis.
Many notable news sources, like Reuters and Bloomberg, have claimed that the company has fired Jensen Huang due to the ongoing Chinese spy controversy.
Nvidia has appointed its chief financial officer, Colette Kress, as interim chief executive as the company begins searching for a permanent replacement.
Nvidia announced on Thursday, 12 November, that Huang had stepped down with immediate effect and had also left the company’s board of directors.
The company appointed its executive vice president and chief financial officer, Colette Kress, as interim CEO. She will continue to oversee the finance department while the board considers internal and external candidates for the permanent position.
While Nvidia described the departure as a resignation, Bloomberg reported that the company’s board had ousted Huang following the controversy.
The reports of the relationships have also raised questions about potential national security implications because one of the women was reportedly suspected by US intelligence officials of having links to Chinese intelligence services.
The controversy intensified after reports emerged about two relationships involving the 63-year-old executive.
One reportedly involved Alice Huang, a business executive associated with Singapore-based data company Megaspeed. US intelligence officials reportedly suspect her of having links to Chinese intelligence services.
Reuters reported that it could not independently verify the allegations surrounding Alice Huang. Nvidia’s board had previously said it had no reason to believe that the company’s secrets or US national security had been compromised.
The second reported relationship involved a senior Nvidia employee who worked under Huang. The New York Times identified the employee as Kimberly Powell, the company’s healthcare business chief.
On 8 November, Huang sent an apology to Nvidia employees, admitting that he had been unfaithful to his wife and accepting responsibility for the harm caused to his family.
The same day, Nvidia’s board announced an independent investigation into reports that its founder had been the target of a foreign intelligence effort. The company said Huang supported the investigation and would cooperate fully.
The board subsequently retained outside legal counsel to oversee the inquiry.
Jensen Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 alongside engineers Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem. He had served as the company’s president and chief executive since its establishment.
