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Nov 13, 2026

A suspected spy tie and affair reports ended Jensen Huang’s Nvidia reign

Huang’s reported relationships turned a personal scandal into a national-security and corporate-governance crisis, while supporters argue his record at Nvidia should not be erased. The company says it can keep operating under interim chief Colette Kress, even as Congress seeks answers about China-bound chips.

On Nov. 8, Jensen Huang acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife, as reports linked him to Alice Huang, a Megaspeed executive whom U.S. officials suspect of spying for China. The allegation took on broader significance because Megaspeed is a major Nvidia customer under investigation over suspected chip diversion. President Donald Trump publicly backed the Nvidia chief, calling him “a fine person.”

By Nov. 11, the New York Times had reported another relationship, with Nvidia healthcare vice president Kimberly Powell, who reports to Huang. The board was reportedly weighing his future, as the company’s shares fell. Nvidia’s board later said it would seek a permanent CEO, while Kress, named interim chief, pledged to build on the “extraordinary foundation Jensen created over the last 33 years.”

On Nov. 12, Huang resigned from the company he co-founded in 1993. Kress took over on an interim basis as Nvidia’s stock dropped more than 10% in pre-market trading. Huang also agreed to testify to Congress, where lawmakers are probing the administration’s handling of Nvidia chip sales to China and whether warnings about the alleged relationship were overlooked.

The fallout has split reactions. AI company chief Aravind Srinivas thanked Huang for “33 years of bold leadership,” while Elon Musk replied “Hmm” to a post challenging the reporting and raising concerns about board governance. By Nov. 13, reports described Huang as shattered and said he had privately questioned Kress’s ability to steer strategy—an uneasy backdrop as Nvidia searches for a permanent successor.

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