‘I Hope You Die’: Jensen Huang Told Indian-Origin Nvidia Executive, Berated Other Staff

As more details about Jensen Huang’s personal life and his conduct at Nvidia emerge, former employees have alleged that the company’s ex-CEO berated senior executives in front of colleagues and, on one occasion, threw a water bottle during a meeting.

A New York Post report published on November 14 said Huang told Jay Puri, then Nvidia’s executive vice-president of worldwide field operations, “I hope you die and put us all out of our misery” during a closed-door meeting in February.

The newspaper cited people familiar with the incident. One source said Huang first expressed the hope that Puri would fall ill. More than 30 executives were reportedly present, and the room fell silent.

Repeated Outburst And Use Of Abusive Language

The report cited several current and former insiders who described Huang as prone to criticising senior employees during lengthy meetings. In one incident in 2025, he allegedly told a senior sales executive, “You don’t know d*** about my business,” during a meeting attended by about 40 staff members.

In another reported episode, Huang ordered a senior executive out of a meeting after accusing the person of smirking. Insiders also alleged that he threw a water bottle at a senior executive at Nvidia’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California.

The Post reported that more than 60 senior executives reported directly to Huang. A representative for Huang declined to comment to the newspaper, while Nvidia did not immediately respond to its request.

Puri joined Nvidia in 2005, after working at Sun Microsystems. In a July 2 regulatory filing, Nvidia said he had notified the company on June 28 that he intended to retire from his operational role. Former Microsoft executive Nicholas Parker was named as his successor, while Puri was expected to remain in a senior advisory position. The filing did not link his departure to the reported meeting.

Huang Misled Nvidia Leadership On His Affair

The workplace allegations surfaced amid separate reports about Huang’s relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive at Nvidia customer Megaspeed International. Jensen Huang and Alice Huang share a surname but are not related.

Reuters reported on November 14, citing two people familiar with the matter and internal messages it reviewed, that Huang described his interactions with Alice Huang to senior Nvidia leaders as routine business dealings. General counsel Tim Teter and chief marketing officer Alison Wagonfeld were among those who received messages, Reuters said. The agency reviewed October exchanges but did not quote them verbatim.

Reuters also reported that Huang discussed taking legal action against The New York Times after it published an article about his public meetings with Alice Huang. Neither Huang nor Nvidia filed a lawsuit.

Nvidia’s independent directors said on November 10 that they had hired the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to investigate reports about Huang’s relationship with Alice Huang and US authorities’ suspicions that she may have links to Chinese intelligence.

Nvidia Names Colette Kress interim CEO

Nvidia announced on November 12 that Huang had resigned as president, CEO and a member of the board, effective immediately. Chief financial officer Colette Kress was appointed interim CEO as the board began searching for a permanent successor. The company’s announcement did not state a reason for Huang’s departure.

Huang apologised for being unfaithful to his wife and for disappointing the company. His statement did not name Alice Huang. Since then reports have also emerged about his other alleged relationships, including with Nvidia employees.