Jensen Huang Resigns As Nvidia CEO After 33 Years Amid Affair And China Spy Controversy

November 12, 2026

New Delhi: Jensen Huang has resigned as President and Chief Executive Officer of American chip giant Nvidia.

The firm confirmed that they have appointed their Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO.

They have also appointed Harvey C. Jones, who formerly held the role of CEO and board member at Synopsys, as their first ever chairman of the board. Huang will also step down from the board.

The move comes as there are increasing controversies surrounding Huang’s personal life and possible links to an overseas intelligence programme. The Nvidia board met on Wednesday to discuss his future at the company.

Why did Jensen Huang resign?

At the centre of the controversy is the claims that Huang had an affair with Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang, who previously held the role of executive at Megaspeed International based out of Singapore.

It is reported that Alice Huang was suspected of collecting intelligence for Beijing. She is not related to Huang and US authorities believe she was linked to Chinese intelligence.

This has caused concern due to the fact that Megaspeed is an Nvidia business partner and has faced scrutiny relating to claims that some high-end Nvidia chips were diverted to China.

On November 8th Nvidia’s board announced that they would be launching an independent investigation into the claims that Huang had been targeted by a foreign intelligence programme. At the time they said they had no reason to believe any national security or confidential information had been compromised by the situation.

In a message sent to Nvidia staff, Huang admitted to being unfaithful to his wife and said he was sorry to his family, colleagues and company. He said he will take full responsibility for his actions and will work with the board during their investigation.

The situation has caused even more controversy as it has now been reported that Huang had an affair with a senior executive at Nvidia, Kimberly Powell, who worked under him. However, Huang didn’t specify who he had been unfaithful with.

China’s Foreign Ministry have denied the espionage claims.

Who is Colette Kress?

Colette Kress has been holding the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Nvidia since joining the company in September 2013.

She will continue to manage the finance side of the business but will also step up as interim CEO until they appoint a permanent CEO. The board will look internally and externally for candidates.

Jensen Huang’s 33-Year Tenure

Huang co-founded Nvidia back in 1993 alongside Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem. Over the past three decades he has taken the brand from a graphics chip company to one of the world’s most influential AI and semiconductor companies.

Their processors are now a key part of the global AI industry.

However, this is a big change in leadership for the company. The news of his exit has caused the stocks to drop over 10% in pre-market trading.