Stephen Witt describes Jensen Huang as arrogant and alleges his public image of humility was carefully cultivated.
The Nvidia co-founder's biographer recounts his alleged intolerance for disagreement and angry outbursts towards employees.
Witt also questions Huang's family-man persona amid reports of alleged affairs involving Nvidia employees.
Jensen Huang’s biographer Stephen Witt has described the Nvidia co-founder as “quite arrogant” and alleged that his public image as a devoted “family man” was “an act”, as reports of three alleged affairs surfaced alongside Huang’s exit from the company.
Hindustan Times reported that two of the alleged affairs involved Nvidia employees, while the third was with Alice Huang, who has been accused of being a Chinese spy.
The claims appeared in an opinion piece Witt wrote for The New York Times. Witt is the author of The Thinking Machine, a biography of Huang.
In his account, Witt went beyond the reports of alleged affairs, arguing that Huang had carefully cultivated a public image that concealed his behaviour at work while projecting devotion to his family.
Humility As Performance
Witt said Huang went to “considerable lengths” to conceal his arrogance. Recalling a meeting in 2023, he wrote that Huang and his handlers were keen to project an image of humility.
According to Witt, Huang reinforced this image through small gestures. He would deflect attention from his own achievements, credit employees and senior staff, and make a point of greeting service workers.
The story of Denny’s was central to this public image. Huang began his career as a dishwasher at the restaurant, a fact that, Witt wrote, he would “never let you forget”. Nvidia itself was conceived in a Denny’s booth, and Huang reportedly enjoyed visiting small, lesser-known restaurants where he left generous tips.
Witt recalled one such visit when Huang tipped a waitress $1,000 in hundred-dollar bills during breakfast at Denny’s.
“He didn’t make a show of it, either. I had to track her down to ask,” the biographer wrote.
Anger And Control
Witt, however, said he came to believe that Huang’s display of humility was carefully managed. Over time, he began to suspect that it was an act intended to “flatter” Huang himself.
He also described a leader who had little tolerance for disagreement and showed limited willingness to engage in open discussion.
Even minor disagreements could provoke an angry response, Witt wrote. Contradicting Huang, even on trivial matters, was like “lighting a fuse”. If someone continued to disagree, Huang could lose his temper and shout at them, accusing them of being idiots.
Witt said the fear among those working with Huang was apparent.
“A harangue from Mr. Huang could last an hour or more; his executive staff appeared genuinely afraid of him,” he wrote.
Family Image And Alleged Affairs
Witt also questioned Huang’s public image as a family man, arguing that it was carefully constructed.
“Here, the act was harder to detect and must have involved a great deal of self-deception. He spoke of his wife, Lori, and his kids, Madison and Spencer, all the time,” he wrote.
Huang frequently travelled with his family, Witt said, and encouraged his children to leave their respective careers and join him at Nvidia. He also referred to Huang walking his daughter Madison down the aisle when she married Nico Caprez, another Nvidia executive.
Witt contrasted this public image with what he described as knowledge of an alleged relationship within the company. Citing a conversation with a former employee, he wrote that Huang’s alleged affair with Nvidia executive Kimberly Powell was common knowledge at Nvidia, where his children also worked.
Witt was critical of the alleged conduct, describing it as a “stunning and disrespectful display of arrogance”. He added that such behaviour gave Huang what he called a “narcissist’s high”.
