NVIDIA announced on November 12 (local time, same below) that Jensen Huang, who has led the company since its founding in 1993, had resigned immediately as chairman and CEO, and as a director. Coleto Kress, the CFO, will serve as interim CEO. The board of directors has begun considering the selection of a permanent CEO and is evaluating candidates both inside and outside the company.
Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, speaking at the NVIDIA keynote at CES 2026
Coleto Kress joined the company in September 13 and has served as senior vice president and CFO. The board also appointed Harvey C. Jones, former CEO of Synopsys and a director, as NVIDIA's first chairman of the board. Jones stated, "We expect business operations, commitments to customers, and product roadmaps to continue without interruption." The quarterly earnings report will be released as scheduled on the 17th.
Regarding Jensen Huang, the U.S. intelligence authorities were reportedly aware of allegations that a close associate of his had collaborated with Chinese intelligence agencies, according to reports by the U.S. New York Times. Huang himself admitted to infidelity with his wife and apologized in a message to employees on the 8th. Additionally, the newspaper reported on the 11th that Huang had been involved in an affair with a senior subordinate under his direct supervision.
On the 8th, the board of directors announced the initiation of an independent investigation following reports that Huang had been targeted by foreign intelligence agencies. At that time, they stated, "We do not have any reason to believe that national security or NVIDIA's confidential information has been compromised," and also affirmed their trust in Huang and the management team. On the 11th, it was reported by Reuters that the board would hold a meeting that night to decide on whether to remove Huang from his position.
