Jensen Huang Resignation: Why He Left NVIDIA and Who Takes Over

The Jensen Huang resignation has ended his 33-year run as NVIDIA’s CEO. The board accepted his departure on November 11, 2026, and announced it the next morning. Finance chief Colette Kress became interim CEO. She will also remain CFO while the board searches for a new leader, according to NVIDIA’s announcement.

The departure followed reports of a possible spy plot, a separate workplace relationship, and questions about a major customer. NVIDIA has given no public reason for his exit. One report suggests the workplace and customer issues may have played a bigger part, but the board has not said why he left.

Why did Jensen Huang resign as NVIDIA CEO?

Three matters came before the Jensen Huang resignation. First, NVIDIA began a review after reports that a foreign spy may have targeted Huang. Next, The New York Times reported a separate relationship with an employee who reported to him. Finally, U.S. officials were looking into Megaspeed, an NVIDIA customer linked to the first set of reports.

WIRED reported that one person familiar with the matter believed the reported workplace relationship and Huang’s business dealings with Megaspeed likely mattered more to the board than the spy claims. That view came from one unnamed source. NVIDIA’s SEC filing confirms the resignation and new roles, but it does not explain the board’s decision.

The order of events matters. At first, the board said it backed Huang as it began the security review. After the workplace report, Reuters said the board met to weigh his future. It accepted his resignation that same day. Even so, timing alone cannot establish which concern mattered most.

Jensen Huang resignation timeline

What are the spying allegations?

The Jensen Huang resignation followed scrutiny of Alice Huang, who once led Singapore-based Megaspeed. Although the two share a surname, they are unrelated. U.S. officials suspect Alice Huang was a Chinese spy, according to news reports. China, meanwhile, has denied the claim. Jensen Huang said he had been unfaithful but did not name the person involved.

NVIDIA’s November 8 board statement said Huang might be the target of a foreign spy effort. At the time, it said it had no reason to believe company secrets or U.S. national security had been compromised. The board said it would look at the facts.

The board gave that view when it opened the review. Its November 12 announcement did not publish findings from the investigation. President Donald Trump also said the FBI was looking into the matter, according to the Associated Press.

Separately, Singapore said it probed possible offenses tied to Megaspeed. It found too little evidence that Alice Huang broke its laws and barred her return. The Home Affairs Ministry said the inquiry did not concern spying, Reuters reported.

Why does Megaspeed matter?

Megaspeed sells cloud computing services and was an NVIDIA customer. U.S. officials have looked into whether it helped buyers in China get chips subject to export rules. Those rules focus on where chips end up and who uses them, even when goods pass through other countries.

Reuters reviewed records showing that a Megaspeed unit imported NVIDIA H100 processors into Indonesia. Reuters also said those shipments alone did not prove that export rules were broken. On November 12, Megaspeed said it had cooperated with U.S. inspections. It hired a law firm to count its GPUs and review its export controls.

For the board, a CEO’s tie to a buyer can raise questions about who got scarce chips and how sales were checked. Those questions require evidence. However, they do not establish that Jensen Huang personally diverted chips or knowingly shared restricted information.

How did the workplace report affect the Jensen Huang resignation?

Separately, on November 11, The New York Times said Huang had a relationship with Kimberly Powell. She is NVIDIA’s vice president of healthcare and reported directly to him. Reuters reported the allegation and said NVIDIA had not given an immediate response.

When an employee reports to a CEO, the boss can affect their work, pay and career. So such a tie can raise questions about fairness and how the firm checks decisions. NVIDIA’s code of conduct says personal relationships can create conflicts. Staff should step back from related decisions and seek legal guidance when they face an actual or perceived conflict.

It is still unclear whether Huang disclosed the reported relationship or took part in decisions tied to it. The board has also not said whether he broke its rules. The report surfaced shortly before directors accepted his resignation, which makes it an important part of the timeline.

Who replaced Jensen Huang as NVIDIA CEO?

Colette Kress is NVIDIA’s interim CEO. She joined as CFO in 2013, after finance jobs at Cisco and Microsoft. Investors know her from earnings calls, where she has discussed demand and supply. Her experience gives the board an established executive to lead the company during the search.

For now, her appointment is temporary. NVIDIA says it will consider internal and external candidates for a permanent CEO. It has not announced a deadline. Kress continues as CFO during the transition, so she holds both roles.

The board also appointed Harvey C. Jones as its first chair. Jones has served on the board since 1993 and previously led chip-design software company Synopsys. His role is to lead the board while Kress leads NVIDIA’s management team.

What the Jensen Huang resignation means for NVIDIA

Huang helped turn NVIDIA from a graphics chip firm into a leading supplier of AI systems. His exit raises questions for buyers, suppliers and investors. The board said it expects the company to keep meeting its commitments and working on its product roadmap. That is its stated plan for the handover.

Meanwhile, the market reaction was immediate. The Associated Press reported that NVIDIA shares fell as much as 14% at the start of U.S. trading on November 12. That intraday figure describes the initial reaction, and the share price can change throughout the session.

NVIDIA’s chips help power models behind products such as AI agents. For more, see our guide to AI agent companies. NVIDIA also makes tools for robots. Teams can use them to train and test machines in simulated worlds. Learn how embodied AI works and what goes into humanoid robot design. NVIDIA has announced its own Isaac robotics tools.

What happens next?

NVIDIA said it would report its third-quarter fiscal 2027 results on November 17, 2026. The call will give Kress an early opportunity to address demand and the company’s outlook.

In particular, data center sales will draw close attention. In the prior quarter, NVIDIA reported $89 billion from that unit and $96.2 billion in total sales. The unit made up roughly 93% of the total.

There are several developments to follow after the Jensen Huang resignation.

• Permanent CEO search. The board must decide who will lead NVIDIA beyond the interim period.

• Independent review. Any public findings could clarify whether sensitive information was exposed and what directors examined.

• Customer and product commitments. Investors and buyers will watch for updates on the next generation of systems and delivery plans.

• Export rules. U.S. officials and lawmakers are watching where chips go and how buyers get computing power.

Kress also told staff they would meet on November 18. The Verge published her message. Further updates may shed light on the change in leadership and the board’s probe.