‘I’m A Piece Of Sh--’: What Led To Jensen Huang’s Exit From Nvidia

Jensen Huang's 33-year tenure at the helm of Nvidia ended after weeks of mounting scrutiny over allegations of extramarital relationships, an internal confrontation and a board investigation. The billionaire executive, who built the chipmaker into a multitrillion-dollar artificial intelligence powerhouse, stepped down on November 11, with Nvidia announcing the leadership change a day later.

According to Bloomberg, Huang's final days at the company were marked by a sharp change in his demeanour, with the normally hands-on chief executive appearing increasingly disengaged as the allegations widened. The controversy involved his reported relationships with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman and former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed, an Nvidia cloud partner, and Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice-president of healthcare. US intelligence officials suspect Alice Huang of acting on behalf of Chinese intelligence, although US authorities have not reached a final conclusion on the allegation. She is not related to Jensen Huang. The board's intervention ended the tenure of an executive whose influence had extended across Nvidia's technology, business strategy and public identity.

How The Allegations Against Jensen Huang Escalated

The first reports emerged in late October, alleging that Huang had close ties with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman suspected by US intelligence officials of acting on behalf of Chinese intelligence. Initially, Nvidia's board, dominated by longtime investors, business partners and friends of the CEO, appeared reluctant to act on the reports or comment publicly.

Much of the initial coverage did not establish the precise nature of their relationship. Huang, meanwhile, maintained to friends and colleagues that he had not been unfaithful to his wife. According to Bloomberg, he had also denied the allegations during internal questioning dating back to late 2025.

In one of his final interviews as CEO, Huang told Bloomberg News that his interactions with Alice Huang were no different from his professional relationships with Chinese customers and executives.

"It was all completely normal and not unusual," he said.

The situation changed on Friday, November 6, when the Financial Times published a report citing US officials who described the relationship as romantic. Soon afterwards, Nvidia's general counsel, Tim Teter, visited Huang at his home to confront him. Huang subsequently admitted to the relationship.

Although several board members remained hesitant about taking a public position, Teter, who also served as the board's secretary, argued that the directors needed to act.

On November 8, Nvidia's board announced an independent investigation into reports that Huang had been the target of a foreign intelligence effort. The board said it had no reason to believe that US national security or Nvidia's confidential information had been compromised. It added that Huang supported the investigation and had pledged to cooperate. The independent directors subsequently retained the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz on November 10 to conduct the inquiry.

On November 8, Huang also emailed employees, acknowledging that he had been unfaithful to his wife, apologising to his family and pledging to "cooperate fully" with the board's investigation. He did not identify the woman in the email.

Kimberly Powell Allegation Adds To Pressure On Huang

The controversy widened further on Wednesday, November 11, when The New York Times reported that Huang had also been involved in an extramarital relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice-president of healthcare.

The board convened remotely on Wednesday, with discussions continuing late into the night. According to Bloomberg, the meeting ended with Huang being left with no option but to resign from his positions as president, CEO and a member of Nvidia's board.

Nvidia subsequently confirmed that its board had accepted Huang's resignation as president, chief executive officer and a member of the board, effective immediately. The decision was made on November 11 and announced publicly on November 12.

As the allegations mounted, there were also indications that the controversy was affecting Huang's attention to his responsibilities at the company.

Nvidia's management structure was unusual, with around 60 executives reporting directly to Huang. Employees were required to submit emails listing their five main priorities, which he regularly reviewed to ensure that teams were working on what he considered most important. He normally responded immediately, often at all hours of the day and night.

However, Bloomberg reported that his response times had begun to increase in recent days.

The change marked a departure from the management style that had defined Huang's leadership for decades. He was known for closely overseeing everything from chip architecture to compensation packages for the company's most junior employees.

Huang had also become one of the most prominent figures in the global artificial intelligence industry. Just two weeks before his resignation, he was still its public face, using his direct approach and energy to build relationships with world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, and influence global technology policy. His international visits regularly drew large crowds.

Harvey Jones, chair of Nvidia's board, acknowledged Huang's contribution in an email to employees following his departure.

"Jensen’s contributions to Nvidia are profound. Nvidia is one of the most consequential technology companies in the world."

Huang could not be reached for comment.

Colette Kress Takes Charge As Nvidia Searches For Successor

On November 12, Nvidia announced that Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress would take over as interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent replacement. Kress will continue to serve as the company's executive vice-president and CFO during the transition.

In an email reviewed by Bloomberg, Kress sought to reassure employees about the company's future and acknowledged the difficult period they had experienced.

"I believe deeply in this company and in its future," Kress wrote. "More than anything, I believe in each of you, in our customers and partners and in the vital role we play every day in the global economy. The Board, staff and I recognize that this has been an extraordinarily difficult period and I want you to know how grateful we are for your resilience, professionalism and continued dedication. Thank you."

Kress also announced that she would hold an all-hands meeting on November 18. Nvidia, meanwhile, is scheduled to announce its third-quarter fiscal 2027 financial results on November 17, with Wall Street analysts expecting quarterly sales growth to nearly double.

The board now faces the challenge of finding a permanent successor to Huang, whose responsibilities extended well beyond managing the company's operations. Bloomberg reported that Advanced Micro Devices CEO Lisa Su and Arm Holdings CEO Rene Haas were among the names being considered as potential successors, although Nvidia has not publicly identified candidates.

Huang's role at Nvidia encompassed technology development, business management, marketing, lobbying and the company's public identity. The chipmaker had not established a conventional succession plan, making his departure particularly challenging.

Bloomberg suggested that Nvidia could increasingly resemble a conventional company, with responsibilities distributed more traditionally across its leadership.

Huang Faces Congressional Questions Over Relationships

Huang's departure is unlikely to end the scrutiny surrounding him, as he is also expected to appear before Congress. Reuters reported that CNBC had said he agreed to testify before Thanksgiving, although the precise hearing arrangements had not been established. Lawmakers are expected to scrutinise his relationship with Alice Huang and examine whether it created any risk to confidential information about Nvidia's advanced chips.

According to Bloomberg, people who have spoken to Huang in recent days said he had become increasingly self-critical about the situation. He reportedly described himself as a "piece of sh--" and said he no longer cared what happened to him.

His primary concern, he has told people, is his wife. He has also expressed concern about "ruining the lives" of the several women now romantically linked to him in public accounts of the scandal.

Separately, Reuters reported on November 12 that Huang had also been involved in a relationship with another Nvidia employee, citing two people familiar with the matter. The employee was not identified.