Nvidia’s board is reportedly preparing to oust CEO Jensen Huang, the co-founder who turned the company into the world’s leading AI chip supplier. The report says directors could meet as soon as Wednesday, US time, to decide his future, after a second alleged affair surfaced just days after he admitted to the first. Nvidia has not announced any decision, and the company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Why the Nvidia Board May Oust Jensen Huang
According to The Wall Street Journal, which cited people familiar with the matter, the board is moving toward removing Huang after he had two extramarital affairs. One of them involved a woman US intelligence officials believe works for Chinese intelligence. The claims rest on anonymous sources, and no board vote has been made public.
The report landed shortly after The New York Times said Huang had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of health care, who reports to him. The paper said the two were allegedly caught on video being affectionate at a San Jose hotel during the company’s GTC developer conference in March. Nvidia, Huang and Powell have not confirmed that account.
A sharp turn from just days ago
This is a big reversal. On November 8, Huang told staff he had been unfaithful to his wife, and the board opened an independent investigation while saying it still had confidence in his leadership. You can read how that probe began in our earlier report on the Nvidia board investigation.
The board hired former US attorney Joon H. Kim and the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to run that review. The new report suggests directors may not wait for it to finish before acting.
How the Jensen Huang Scandal Unfolded
The story has moved fast, in less than two weeks. Here is the timeline based on the reporting so far.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Late October | Reports say US officials believe Alice Huang, a Megaspeed executive (no relation), was a Chinese intelligence asset close to Huang |
| Early November | Further reporting, citing a US government memo, says the two were romantically involved |
| November 8 | Huang admits infidelity in a staff memo; the board launches an independent probe and backs him |
| November 11 | A second alleged affair with a direct report is reported, followed by word that the board may remove him |
| November 18 | Deadline House Republican committee chairs set for a closed-door briefing from Huang |
China has denied the spy allegations, and they remain unproven. President Donald Trump has said Huang told him he had no idea the woman was a spy, which we covered in our story on the Trump press briefing.
From security question to governance problem
The first affair raised national security concerns, since the probe focused on whether sensitive information could have passed through that relationship. The second one is different. A relationship between a CEO and someone in their reporting line raises questions about conflicts of interest and fair treatment inside the company.
Market Reaction and What Comes Next
Investors reacted quickly. Nvidia shares had closed Wednesday’s regular session up about 2.9%, then fell roughly 8% in after-hours trading as the two reports came out.
It is not clear from the reports who would replace him. Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and has led it from a graphics chip maker to the dominant supplier of AI chips. That makes any change at the top a major moment for the whole AI industry, which leans heavily on Nvidia hardware like its Vera Rubin systems.
Several open questions remain:
- Whether the board actually meets as planned and votes on Huang’s role
- Who would lead Nvidia on an interim or permanent basis
- What the outside investigation concludes about any security risk
- Whether Huang still appears before the House committees by November 18
What This Means for You
If you use AI tools every day, nothing changes overnight. Nvidia chips already sit inside the data centers running chatbots, image generators and coding assistants, and existing orders and supply deals do not disappear because a CEO leaves.
Still, there are a few practical takeaways:
- If you hold Nvidia stock or AI-focused funds, expect sharp swings until the board speaks publicly
- If your company buys Nvidia hardware or cloud capacity, watch for any changes to roadmaps or partnerships
- Treat headlines carefully, since key details still come from unnamed sources and have not been confirmed by Nvidia
Huang has also been a leading voice in Washington on chip export rules, so a leadership change could shift how the industry talks to policymakers. For more updates as this develops, follow our AI news coverage.
Sources
Reporting from The Verge, with additional reporting from OfficeChai and The Sydney Morning Herald.
Conclusion
Nvidia’s board appears ready to act against Jensen Huang after a second alleged affair, this time with a direct report, followed his admission of a first one tied to spy concerns. Nothing is official yet, and the key claims come from people familiar with the matter rather than the company. If the board does remove him, it would be one of the biggest leadership changes the AI industry has seen. Expect Nvidia to address the situation publicly soon, and expect investors to watch every word.
