Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang has resigned as chief executive, president and director of the US chipmaker following disclosures about extramarital relationships, including one with a woman suspected by American intelligence officials of spying for China.
The company announced on Thursday that chief financial officer Colette Kress would become interim chief executive while its board searches for a permanent replacement. Huang’s resignation took effect immediately, ending his 33-year leadership of a company central to the global artificial intelligence industry.
Nvidia also appointed longtime director Harvey C. Jones as its first board chairman, separating the chairmanship from executive management as the company confronts questions about governance, security and leadership continuity.
The resignation followed Huang’s acknowledgement that he had been unfaithful to his wife and the board’s decision to commission an independent investigation into whether he had been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. The company has not established that confidential information was compromised.
The woman at the centre of the intelligence allegations has been identified as Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed International. US intelligence officials suspect she supplied information to Beijing. China has denied the espionage allegations, and suspicion alone does not establish that she engaged in spying.
Nvidia said earlier that it had no reason to believe either national security or its own secrets had been compromised. Its independent investigation remains an important unresolved element of the controversy, separate from the company’s confirmation of its leadership change.
Huang apologised to employees and his family in a message released by Nvidia on Sunday. He acknowledged marital infidelity and accepted responsibility for the personal harm caused, without confirming any espionage allegation against the woman involved.
Scrutiny intensified after additional allegations emerged concerning relationships with Nvidia employees. Those claims have raised questions about workplace conduct and potential conflicts of interest, although the company did not cite any particular relationship as the reason for Huang’s departure in its formal announcement.
The board has retained outside legal counsel for its investigation. Its inquiry is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the alleged foreign intelligence contact and relevant company safeguards. No public finding has established that Huang knowingly assisted a foreign intelligence service.
Kress, who joined Nvidia in September 2013, will retain her finance responsibilities while serving as interim chief executive. The board said it would assess candidates from both inside and outside the company, without specifying a timetable for an appointment.
Jones expressed confidence in the existing leadership team and said Nvidia expected its operations, customer commitments and product development plans to continue without interruption. Kress pledged to maintain the company’s focus on customers, partners, developers and shareholders.
The change comes at a sensitive moment for Nvidia, whose advanced processors underpin artificial intelligence systems operated by major technology groups and cloud computing providers. The company is also caught in Washington’s efforts to restrict the transfer of sophisticated semiconductor technology to China.
Investors responded to the leadership turmoil by selling Nvidia shares, reflecting concerns about the loss of an executive closely associated with the company’s strategy, product development and relationships with major customers. Share price movements during Thursday’s trading were volatile, complicating comparisons between early losses and later quotations.
The controversy has also attracted attention in Washington. President Donald Trump acknowledged a federal investigation into Huang’s relationship with Alice Huang, while lawmakers raised questions about the implications for semiconductor export controls and the security of strategically important technology.
Trump publicly praised Huang’s contribution to Nvidia and suggested Apple chief executive Tim Cook as a possible successor. Nvidia’s board has made no announcement identifying preferred candidates, and there is no indication that Cook has expressed interest in the position.
Singapore’s authorities have separately examined matters involving Alice Huang and transactions connected with computer servers. Its home affairs ministry said there was insufficient evidence to establish offences in its investigation, although she received a warning and was barred from returning to Singapore.
Megaspeed International has said it takes compliance with US export control requirements seriously and intends to cooperate with the relevant authorities. Allegations concerning chip shipments and intelligence activity remain distinct questions requiring separate evidence.
Nvidia is scheduled to release its third-quarter fiscal 2027 financial results on 17 November, followed by an earnings call, according to the company’s previously announced timetable.
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