Jensen Huang has stepped down as CEO and board member of Nvidia, the company he co-founded in 1993. The departure follows a board investigation into multiple extramarital affairs involving Huang with a direct report and an alleged Chinese spy.
Leadership Transition at Nvidia
Harvey Jones, serving as the newly appointed and first-ever Chair of the Board, informed employees of Huang’s resignation through an internal email. Jones stated that the board initiated a search for a permanent successor, evaluating both internal and external candidates. In the interim, Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress has been appointed as interim CEO.
Praising Kress, Jones noted her 13-year tenure as CFO, describing her as a primary architect of Nvidia’s financial growth and strategy. Jones emphasized that the board maintains complete confidence in her ability to fulfill obligations to shareholders, customers, and employees. He also acknowledged Huang’s extensive contributions, stating that Nvidia grew into a major global technology force under his leadership through pioneering accelerated computing, modern GPUs, and artificial intelligence platforms.
Interim CEO Addresses Employees
In her inaugural message to staff as interim CEO, Kress acknowledged the turbulent circumstances, noting that the board and leadership recognize the situation as an extraordinarily difficult period. She expressed gratitude for the workforce’s resilience and dedication.
Kress reaffirmed the company’s commitment to advancing the artificial intelligence revolution and supporting the global economy. Leadership plans to provide further updates in the following days and scheduled a company-wide meeting for November 18 at 9 a.m. PT.
