Jensen Huang on Thursday stepped down as Nvidia’s chief executive, ending his 33-year tenure at the helm of the AI giant he co-founded. Following his resignation, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas praised Jensen Huang’s leadership, saying his “grit and perseverance should always be remembered”.
Taking to X, Srinivas thanked Jensen Huang for his leadership and recalled the Nvidia chief’s personal support for founders, saying his contributions would have a lasting impact on America’s future and artificial intelligence.
“Thank you @JensenHuang for 33 years of bold leadership. You built a small startup into America’s most valuable company, with relentless improvement. Your grit and perseverance should always be remembered. Your personal generosity with time and advice to founders like me has secured a bright future for America and AI,” Srinivas wrote.
(Also Read: Colette Kress, Nvidia finanace chief for over a decade, replaces Jensen Huang as interim CEO)
Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia CEO
{{/usCountry}}(Also Read: Colette Kress, Nvidia finanace chief for over a decade, replaces Jensen Huang as interim CEO)
Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia CEO
{{/usCountry}}Perplexity CEO’s post comes after Nvidia’s board announced that Jensen Huang had stepped down as president, CEO and board member with immediate effect. His resignation followed revelations about two alleged extramarital affairs, one of which reportedly involved a woman accused of having links to Chinese intelligence.
Following Huang’s departure, Nvidia’s longtime finance chief Colette Kress has been named interim CEO. Kress has served as the company’s executive vice-president and chief financial officer since joining Nvidia in September 2013.
(Also Read: Before becoming Nvidia's interim CEO, Colette Kress said it was the ‘smallest company’ she had worked for)
Jensen Huang controversy
Pressure had been mounting on Huang in recent days following reports about his alleged relationships.
The 63-year-old, who is married, reportedly had an affair with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman whom US intelligence agencies have assessed to be linked to Chinese intelligence. The allegations prompted Nvidia's board to launch an independent investigation into whether the CEO was targeted as part of a foreign intelligence operation.
Earlier in the day, The New York Times reported that Huang had also been involved in an extramarital affair with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, who reports directly to him.
Huang’s resignation marks the end of his 33-year leadership of Nvidia, which he co-founded and helped transform into one of the world’s most valuable technology companies. His departure leaves the $4 trillion company facing uncertainty and raises questions about the future of the AI ecosystem he helped build.