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Nov 13, 2026
Nvidia’s AI boom must prove it can survive without Jensen Huang
Huang’s abrupt exit has left Nvidia balancing two competing realities: a succession crisis at the top and continued demand for its AI chips. Kress says the company can keep moving, while critics question whether its board was prepared—and whether anyone can replace Huang’s influence.
Over the weekend, Jensen Huang acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife after reports linked him to a businesswoman accused by U.S. authorities of working for Chinese intelligence. On Wednesday, reports of a second affair—with an Nvidia executive who reported to him—raised pressure on the board, which was weighing his future. Huang resigned Thursday, ending his 33-year run at the company he co-founded.1
The board named CFO Colette Kress interim CEO and said it expects operations, customer commitments and the product roadmap to continue without interruption. Kress, who joined Nvidia in 2013, pledged to build on the company’s foundation and keep serving customers, partners, developers and shareholders.2 Some industry figures mourned Huang’s departure: investor Aravind Srinivas thanked him for “33 years of bold leadership,”
3 while Elon Musk amplified a post calling it “a sad day for NVIDIA, developers, America, and all humanity.”
4
But the transition exposes a deeper governance problem. Huang ran Nvidia through a highly centralized structure, with about 60 executives reporting directly to him, and the company had no clear succession plan. Critics say the board should have been asking harder questions about oversight and succession before a crisis forced its hand.5
Markets reacted sharply to the resignation, adding to investor concern about whether Nvidia’s momentum can hold. China, meanwhile, rejected the espionage allegations, accusing Washington of fabricating claims to justify technology restrictions. Yet some analysts argue the business itself remains sound: Morningstar’s Brian Colello said demand for Nvidia’s chips remains strong, while AI consultant Bret Greenstein argued that Nvidia supplies capacity for demand it did not create.67 The company’s next test is whether that demand—and confidence in its leadership—can outlast its founder.