Finance chief Colette Kress takes over as interim CEO. Reuters reports that Nvidia’s board is examining whether Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation.
November 14, 2026 — Jensen Huang has stepped down as Nvidia’s chief executive, president and board member, ending 33 years at the helm of the chipmaker he co-founded. Nvidia announced his immediate departure on November 12 and named Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress interim CEO. The announcement followed reports about Huang’s personal relationships and an investigation by independent directors. nvidianews.nvidia.com
What prompted the scrutiny
Huang acknowledged an affair in a November 8 statement without identifying the other person, Reuters reported. The statement followed reporting about a relationship with a businesswoman whom U.S. intelligence officials reportedly suspect of working for Chinese intelligence. Reuters separately reported, citing two people familiar with the matter, that Huang had an intimate relationship with a second Nvidia employee. Nvidia declined to comment on that report, and Huang did not reply to Reuters’ request for comment. Reuters
The intelligence allegation remains unproven publicly. Nvidia’s resignation announcement did not state a reason for Huang’s departure or disclose findings from the investigation. nvidianews.nvidia.com
Nvidia brings in outside counsel
Reuters reported that independent directors began investigating earlier in November whether Huang had been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. The board hired law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to conduct the inquiry, with former federal prosecutor Joon Kim leading the work. Republican leaders of several U.S. House committees have also requested a closed-door interview with Huang in December, according to Reuters. Reuters
Who is running Nvidia now?
Kress has served as Nvidia’s CFO since 2013 and will keep that position while acting as interim chief executive. The board named longtime director Harvey C. Jones its first chair and said it would consider candidates from inside and outside the company for the permanent CEO role. Jones said the board expects Nvidia’s operations, customer commitments and product roadmap to continue through the transition. nvidianews.nvidia.com
Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 with Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem. The company started in PC graphics and later made its graphics processors available for general-purpose computing through CUDA, a step that helped establish Nvidia’s role in AI. Kress now leads the company through its first CEO transition while the board searches for a permanent successor. www.nvidia.com
