Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigns following reports of extramarital affairs
Colette Kress has been named interim CEO as the company investigates potential security concerns involving a former business associate.
Nvidia announced on Thursday that co-founder Jensen Huang has resigned as chief executive officer, effective immediately. The California-based chipmaker has appointed Colette Kress, the company's chief financial officer and executive vice president since 2013, to serve as interim CEO.
The resignation follows reports regarding Huang's personal relationships. According to The New Indian Express, one relationship involved a businesswoman whom U.S. intelligence suspects of being a Chinese spy, a claim Beijing denies. Nvidia also investigated whether Huang had been targeted by foreign intelligence efforts.
Reports from The New York Times and other outlets also alleged that Huang had an affair with an executive who reported directly to him. In a Sunday email to employees, Huang apologised for being unfaithful to his wife, stating his actions hurt his family.
Hugging Face CEO Clement Delangue described the leadership change as a “really sad day” according to the Times of India. Delangue, whose company is set to be acquired by Nvidia for $12.9 billion, vowed to continue fighting for open-source AI development.
Nvidia's board of directors has named Harvey C. Jones as its first-ever chairman. The company stated it is currently considering both internal and external candidates to find a permanent successor to Huang.