Staff and Musk Want Jensen Huang Back
Nvidia employees and Elon Musk want Jensen Huang back as chief executive, days after he resigned. The push, reported on Saturday, comes from inside the company and from a public petition, and it has put the board’s search for a successor under fresh pressure.
Huang stepped down on November 12 as president, chief executive and a board member. The board had opened an independent investigation on November 8, after reports said Huang had been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. His resignation followed reports of an alleged relationship with an executive who reported directly to him.
Why staff want Jensen Huang back
A longtime Nvidia engineer submitted a post on the company’s internal suggestion platform before Huang resigned, asking directors to consider employee views, share the investigation’s findings, and formally ask staff whether Huang should remain chief executive.
The post drew more than 1,600 comments, most backing his return, according to WIRED’s account of internal correspondence. One employee told the magazine they feared Nvidia would suffer without its founder. Another employee sent a companywide email asking for more transparency, and about two dozen employees backed him on LinkedIn after he resigned.
The 1,600 figure counts comments, not signatures. The post is a request for the board to hear staff before it decides.
A separate public petition
A separate campaign, called Stand with Jensen, has published an open letter asking the board to reinstate Huang while an independent investigation establishes the facts. It says it is independent of Nvidia and Huang.
The letter asks the board to disclose the inquiry’s scope, independence and expected end, explain the evidence it weighed, and justify keeping Huang out of the role meanwhile.
Musk backed the campaign on X on November 13. “A petition is underway to reinstate Jensen, and I’m signing it too,” he wrote. Reuters noted it was unclear whether his post referred to the internal staff effort or the public petition. Y Combinator chief executive Garry Tan said he had signed the open letter, and Replit chief executive Amjad Masad urged others to sign.
The campaign’s own tracker put signatories in the tens of thousands by Saturday. The figures are self-reported and unverified, and organisers said they were removing fake entries.
Investors urge the board to slow down
Brad Gerstner of Altimeter Capital and Gavin Baker of Atreides Management posted a letter to the board late on November 13. It asked for a “slow, measured, and deliberate process” that keeps every option open, including Huang’s return, and said finance chief Colette Kress could lead the company meanwhile.
It accepts that a decision not to bring Huang back is the board’s prerogative. Its point is that the board should not close the door before the facts are known.
Who runs Nvidia now
Kress is interim chief executive while keeping her chief financial officer role, and longtime director Harvey C. Jones has become board chair.
The board has said it will consider internal and external candidates. The Financial Times reported on November 13 that the board had approached Arm chief executive Rene Haas as a possible successor, as we reported on Friday.
The board told Reuters it was still choosing a search firm and had not formally engaged any candidates. United States President Donald Trump praised Huang and suggested former Apple chief executive Tim Cook as his successor.
Huang led Nvidia for 33 years. Its market value fell by about $1 trillion as his exit hit the shares. The exit also drew a political response in Washington, and Nvidia has reportedly dropped a planned 24GB graphics card launch.
Frequently asked questions
Why do Nvidia staff want Jensen Huang back?
A longtime engineer asked the board to consider employee views and share its findings. The post drew more than 1,600 comments, most backing his return.
What is the Stand with Jensen petition?
A volunteer-run campaign asking Nvidia’s board to reinstate Huang while an independent investigation establishes the facts. Its counts are self-reported and unverified.
Did Elon Musk sign the petition?
Musk wrote on X on November 13: “A petition is underway to reinstate Jensen, and I’m signing it too.” Reuters noted it was unclear which petition he meant.
Who is running Nvidia now?
Finance chief Colette Kress is interim chief executive, and director Harvey C. Jones has become board chair. The board is still choosing a search firm.
Why did Jensen Huang resign?
Nvidia announced on November 12 that Huang had resigned as president, chief executive and a board member. The board had opened an independent investigation on November 8, and his resignation followed reports of an alleged relationship with an executive who reported directly to him.
