Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has resigned from his position, ending a 33-year tenure that transformed the company into a dominant force in the global technology sector. The departure follows intense scrutiny regarding Huang’s personal conduct and allegations involving potential national security risks.
Colette Kress, the company’s chief financial officer, has assumed the role of interim CEO. She will lead the chipmaker while the board searches for a permanent replacement. The transition comes at a critical time for Nvidia, which controls an estimated 90 percent of the market for advanced artificial intelligence chips.
Personal Scandals and Security Concerns
Huang stepped down on Thursday after several days of mounting pressure. The catalyst for his resignation was the revelation of two extramarital affairs. On Sunday, Huang admitted to being unfaithful to his wife, Lori, and apologized to his family and employees.
The first reported relationship involved Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based tech company Megaspeed. Reports allege that Alice Huang worked for Chinese intelligence. This connection raised immediate questions about national security, particularly given Jensen Huang’s long-standing advocacy for allowing Nvidia to sell advanced AI chips to China.
A second reported relationship involved Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare. Powell reported directly to Jensen Huang, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest within the company’s executive leadership. The Reuters news agency reported that the board met on Wednesday to consider removing Huang following these additional revelations.
Despite the severity of the allegations, Nvidia’s board stated it had no reason to believe that national security was actually compromised. The board launched an independent investigation into reports that Jensen Huang had been targeted by Chinese intelligence but found no established evidence that he knowingly assisted Beijing or that company secrets were leaked.
Interim Leadership and Market Impact
Colette Kress brings extensive financial experience to the interim role. She has served as Nvidia’s CFO since September 2013. Under her oversight, the company’s annual revenue grew from $4.13 billion in fiscal 2014 to $215.9 billion in fiscal 2026. Before joining Nvidia, Kress held senior finance positions at Texas Instruments, Microsoft, and Cisco.
In a statement, Kress expressed her commitment to building on the foundation Jensen Huang created over the past three decades. The board is considering both internal and external candidates for the permanent CEO position.
The resignation has sparked debate about the future of Nvidia’s business strategy. Jensen Huang spent years campaigning against restrictions on chip sales to China. In December 2025, President Donald Trump approved the export of Nvidia’s H200 chips to China. These chips are approximately six times more powerful than the H20 models previously available to Chinese buyers.
Chinese companies reportedly ordered more than two million H200 chips, a deal potentially worth $54 billion. However, analysts note that these figures represent orders rather than completed sales. Exports remain subject to US inspections, shipment limits, restrictions on military use, and a 25 percent tariff.
Technology and cybersecurity analyst Ritesh Kotak told Al Jazeera that the leadership change could create uncertainty among Nvidia’s employees and customers. He described Jensen Huang as the captain who steered the ship since the early 1990s. The company is also preparing to invest approximately $10 billion in AI developer Anthropic as part of its planned stock market listing.
President Trump has suggested that former Apple chief executive Tim Cook could be a suitable successor. Trump praised Jensen Huang’s work on Truth Social and stated that Cook was the person to replace him. Cook stepped down as Apple’s CEO in September and now serves as executive chairman. There is currently no indication that Cook is interested in the Nvidia position.
Source: Al Jazeera
