NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang is stepping down.
In a statement issued on Thursday (Nov. 12), the tech company’s board of directors announced that Huang had resigned from his roles as president and CEO, plus relinquished his spot on the board.
“NVIDIA’s strength has always come from its people, and together with our leadership team, I am committed to building on the extraordinary foundation Jensen created over the last 33 years,” Colette Kress, who will now serve as interim CEO, said Thursday. “We will continue advancing the work that has made NVIDIA a leader in accelerated computing and AI, and execute on the opportunities ahead. Our focus remains on serving our customers, partners, developers, and shareholders.”
Kress is not new to NVIDIA, as she previously held the titles of executive vice president and chief financial officer. She will retain those titles amid a search for a permanent successor to Huang.
The news comes after Huang admitted to an affair in an email to NVIDIA employees. That affair, for which Huang said there was “no excuse,” also led to national security woes due to reports that the now-former CEO had been embroiled in a foreign intelligence operation.
“I support the investigation and will cooperate fully,” Huang said in a letter shared this past weekend. “I love our country and our company. I am committed to protecting NVIDIA and supporting America’s national security. I am proud and grateful to be an American. My family bears no responsibility for my choices. I do. Please give them privacy.”
As previously reported by The New York Times, a woman with whom Huang had an alleged relationship is an accused Chinese spy.
Leading NVIDIA’s independent investigation is former acting U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of New York Joon H. Kim, and his firm. Trump says the FBI is also investigating.
