Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Resigns
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigns with immediate effect, ending a 33-year run at the head of the company he co-founded and built into the world’s dominant supplier of artificial intelligence chips.
The company said Huang had stepped down as president, chief executive and board member, effective immediately. Chief financial officer Colette Kress will serve as interim chief executive while keeping her finance role, and the board will consider internal and external candidates for a permanent replacement.
Nvidia also named Harvey C. Jones, a former Synopsys chief executive and board member, as its first board chair. Huang, who co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and holds about 3.61 per cent of its shares, will not remain on the board.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigns after reports of affairs
The board met on Wednesday to decide Huang’s future, a person familiar with the matter said, after reports that he had two extramarital affairs. One involved Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman whom United States intelligence officials have identified as a suspected Chinese intelligence asset. The two are not related.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the second affair involved Kimberly Powell, a senior Nvidia executive who runs the company’s healthcare business. Huang had acknowledged an affair with Alice Huang. The New York Times first reported on the business connection between Huang and Alice Huang in October 2025.
Nvidia’s board announced an investigation on Sunday. It said it had confidence in Huang’s leadership and no reason to believe company secrets or national security had been compromised. The company’s statement on Thursday thanked Huang for what it called his “immeasurable contributions” to the company and the industry. It gave no reason for the resignation, and Huang made no public comment.
Shares fall as investors weigh the change
Nvidia shares fell more than 10 per cent in pre-market trading on Thursday, and the drop weighed on the wider market. The company is valued at about $4 trillion, and its chips power most of the world’s AI systems, so a sudden change at the top unsettled investors.
The company confirmed it would publish third-quarter results on Tuesday, November 17, as scheduled. The board’s search for a permanent chief executive will be overseen by Jones, the new board chair.
Succession was never settled
Huang had about 60 direct reports and had said he did not believe in succession planning. He argued that leaders should pass on knowledge and information continuously, rather than name a successor. Nvidia’s latest proxy statement warns that the company is highly dependent on its longstanding executive team and that a failure to ensure effective succession planning could hinder its strategic planning and execution.
Feature Pakistan reported on Wednesday that the board had met to consider removing Huang. The resignation turns that boardroom question into a leadership change at the most valuable chipmaker in the world. For Pakistan, the stakes are practical rather than personal: the AI systems that Pakistani businesses, universities and government departments are now trying to use run on hardware of the kind Nvidia supplies. AI training for rural workers is already under way, and Pakistan’s AI plans were debated at the Margalla Dialogue this week. The cost and supply of that hardware will depend in part on the direction Nvidia takes under its next chief executive.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Jensen Huang resign?
Nvidia announced the resignation with immediate effect on Thursday, November 12. The company gave no reason. It followed reports of two extramarital affairs and a board meeting on Wednesday to decide Huang’s future.
Who is the interim CEO of Nvidia?
Colette Kress, the company’s chief financial officer since 2013. She will serve as interim chief executive while keeping her finance role until a permanent successor is named.
What happened to Nvidia shares?
Shares fell more than 10 per cent in pre-market trading on Thursday, and the drop weighed on the wider market. The company is valued at about $4 trillion.
Who is Harvey Jones?
Harvey C. Jones is a former Synopsys chief executive and a Nvidia board member. He has been appointed the company’s first board chair, and he will oversee the search for a permanent chief executive.
