Jensen Huang, the CEO who built Nvidia into the world’s largest AI semiconductor company, has abruptly resigned. His 33-year tenure at the helm since founding the company in 1993 has come to an end.
Nvidia announced on the 12th (local time), in an official press release and a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), that Huang had stepped down as president, CEO and a member of the board. The board accepted his resignation on the 11th, and it took effect immediately.
Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress will serve as interim CEO until a successor is chosen. Kress will also retain her CFO role. Nvidia’s board plans to consider both internal and external candidates before appointing a permanent successor.
The board named Harvey Jones, an Nvidia director since 1993, as its first chair. Jones previously served as CEO and chairman of Synopsys, a semiconductor design software company.
Huang’s resignation comes amid a series of recent allegations involving his personal life and national security. U.S. media have reported allegations that Huang had a relationship with a woman suspected of having ties to Chinese intelligence. On the 11th, The New York Times raised a further allegation that Huang had an affair with Kimberly Powell, an Nvidia vice president overseeing healthcare who reported directly to him.
On the 8th, Nvidia’s board announced that it had launched an independent investigation into allegations involving a foreign intelligence agency. At the time, the board said there was no basis to conclude that national security or company secrets had been compromised, and expressed its confidence in Huang.
Nvidia did not give a specific reason for Huang’s departure in its announcement. It has not officially confirmed any direct link between the allegations and his resignation.
Huang transformed Nvidia from a graphics processing unit (GPU) maker into a company leading the global AI infrastructure market. His sudden departure has drawn attention to the potential impact on Nvidia’s business strategy and the AI semiconductor supply chain.
Nvidia’s board said it would ensure there was no disruption to existing business operations, customer contracts or product development schedules. The company’s quarterly earnings announcement, scheduled for the 17th, will proceed as planned.