Jensen Huang resigns as NVIDIA CEO after board investigation

By Rebecca Stone

Jensen Huang resigned as NVIDIA's president and chief executive on Thursday, ending a tenure that began when he co-founded the company in 1993 and helped turn a 3D graphics maker into an AI company worth more than $4 trillion.

NVIDIA's board said Huang also gave up his seat on the board. The company named Colette Kress, its executive vice president and chief financial officer, interim CEO while it searches for a permanent successor.

What changed in NVIDIA's leadership?

Succession runs through Kress's existing finance role. NVIDIA said, “Kress will continue to serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer while serving as Interim Chief Executive Officer until a permanent successor has been named,” and added, “The Board is initiating a search for a permanent Chief Executive Officer and will consider internal and external candidates.”

The arrangement puts finance and executive authority under one interim leader. It gives the board continuity in financial leadership while it evaluates whether an internal or external candidate can take the permanent job.

NVIDIA also appointed Harvey Jones as its first-ever chair. Jones previously served as CEO and executive chairman of electronic design automation company Synopsys.

Jones said in a statement: “Colette has helped lead NVIDIA through a period of extraordinary growth and has a deep understanding of our business, customers, operations and financial position.”

He added: “She is supported by an experienced leadership team that has been instrumental in executing NVIDIA's strategy and advancing its technology roadmap. The Board has full confidence in Colette and the leadership team, and we expect the company's operations, customer commitments and product roadmap to continue without interruption.”

What triggered Huang's resignation?

Huang's departure came days after the board said it would investigate him after he admitted to an affair with a former technology executive accused of being a Chinese intelligence asset.

At the time, the board said it had “no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised.” That reassurance covered the immediate security concerns, not every question raised by Huang's admission.

President Donald Trump later said the FBI was investigating the matter. Asked about the recent revelations, Trump called Huang “an honorable guy” and said he “probably has an excuse for it.”

The New York Times later reported that Huang had also had an affair with an NVIDIA executive who reported to him. According to the newspaper, the two were seen “being affectionate” at a hotel during a company conference this year.

The Times report also described a nondisclosure agreement that Huang's security detail offered to a bystander who recorded the interaction. The account came as the board was investigating the first affair and days before the leadership change.

How did the crisis unfold?\n

• 1993: Huang co-founded NVIDIA and became CEO. His tenure lasted until Thursday's resignation.
• Earlier this week: Huang apologized to employees in an internal memo and said he would “work to earn back your confidence.”
• Days before Thursday: The board opened an investigation after Huang admitted to an affair with a former technology executive accused of being a Chinese intelligence asset.
• Thursday: Huang resigned as president and CEO, left the board and was replaced on an interim basis by Kress. Jones became NVIDIA's first-ever chair.

Why does the founder's exit matter for AI?

Under Huang, NVIDIA transformed from a 3D graphics company into an AI powerhouse. Its stock price rose sharply over recent years, and Huang became an increasingly public face of the AI boom.

At industry events, he usually wore his signature black leather jacket and appeared with fellow technology executives including Mark Zuckerberg and Satya Nadella. His visibility made him a public representative of NVIDIA's position on AI.

Some high-profile AI researchers were raising alarms about superintelligence. Huang took a more positive view and argued against increased regulation of the industry.

He also said America should not restrict China's access to US-made chips. Those positions put NVIDIA's chief executive directly into policy debates over AI regulation and the geographic reach of American chip sales.

Huang's proximity to Trump added another dimension. He frequently appeared with the president and was one of several technology leaders who accompanied Trump on a recent trip to China.

That political visibility placed the founder's conduct inside a national-security story. The board's inquiry had already raised the question, while Trump's comments added the FBI investigation to the public record.

Earlier in the week, Huang addressed employees directly. In an internal memo, he apologized for his actions and wrote that leading NVIDIA was “the privilege of my life.”

He added that he was “committed to protecting NVIDIA and supporting America's national security.” Huang also wrote that he was “fully committed to NVIDIA” and would “work to earn back your confidence.”

By Thursday, Huang had resigned from the executive role and surrendered his board seat. His pledge to regain confidence did not produce a return to the company.

Who can become NVIDIA's next permanent CEO?

The board says Kress will hold both executive titles during the search. It will consider candidates from inside and outside NVIDIA, two paths that preserve institutional knowledge or bring in outside leadership.

Jones's appointment changes the governance structure around the transition. As chair, he leads the board conducting the search, while Kress leads the executive organization as interim CEO and retains the finance role.

Jones brings prior chief executive and chairman experience from Synopsys. NVIDIA's board remains responsible for choosing the permanent CEO, with Kress's interim appointment providing continuity until it does.

The market stakes are operational continuity at a company that has become a linchpin for the AI industry. Jones said the board expects operations, customer commitments and the product roadmap to continue without interruption during the leadership search.

The governance stakes are more direct. A permanent successor will inherit a board inquiry into Huang's conduct, a report about a second relationship with a direct report, and Trump's statement that the FBI is investigating. The disclosures followed the board's decision to investigate after Huang's admission involving a former executive accused of being a Chinese intelligence asset.

Huang's departure also leaves the company's policy voice with new management. His positions on superintelligence, regulation and China's access to US-made chips had made the CEO a public participant in debates extending beyond NVIDIA's product roadmap.

For NVIDIA and its AI customers, the next material milestone is the permanent CEO appointment; Kress remains in both executive roles, and Jones's board must turn its promise of uninterrupted operations, customer commitments and product roadmap into continuity after Huang's departure.