Jensen Huang, who stepped down as Nvidia chief executive officer (CEO), has seen a shockingly quick life turnaround in the last two weeks from being the face of artificial intelligence around the world to that facing allegations of multiple extramarital affairs, including one with an alleged Chinese spy.
Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang made a dramatic exit as CEO on Thursday following days of controversy over his alleged relationships with multiple women, with the company announcing Colette Kress as his interim replacement.
What initially appeared to be a controversy he could weather escalated after an admission of an affair, fresh allegations involving a senior company executive and growing pressure from the board, ultimately leading to his resignation. Allegations of a third affair also surfaced after his resignation.
Here are five key details from Huang's final days in Nvidia
1. From commanding CEO to 'I don't care', ‘Piece of sh--’
After weeks of denying allegations of infidelity and fighting to retain his position, Huang's usual take-charge demeanour reportedly began to disappear. According to a person familiar with the situation, cited in a Bloomberg report, his legendary energy had depleted, and he had started using phrases such as "whatever" and "I don't care."
People who spoke with him in recent days said Huang had taken a penitent turn, even castigating himself as a "piece of sh--." The billionaire, who had spent decades building Nvidia after co-founding it in 1993, into a multitrillion-dollar AI chip behemoth, appeared to have given up, Bloomberg reported.
2. The turning point
{{/usCountry}}People who spoke with him in recent days said Huang had taken a penitent turn, even castigating himself as a "piece of sh--." The billionaire, who had spent decades building Nvidia after co-founding it in 1993, into a multitrillion-dollar AI chip behemoth, appeared to have given up, Bloomberg reported.
2. The turning point
{{/usCountry}}The controversy erupted in late October after reports claimed Huang's close ties with Megaspeed executive Alice, a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy. Initially, the Nvidia board, dominated by longtime investors, business partners and friends of the CEO, appeared reluctant to act or publicly comment on the allegations.
Huang reportedly denied being unfaithful to his wife when questioned internally since late 2025. In one of his last interviews as CEO, he described his relationship with Alice Huang as typical of those with Chinese customers and executives, saying, "It was all completely normal and not unusual," he told Bloomberg News.
The situation took a turn on November 6, when a Financial Times report cited US officials saying that the relationship had been romantic. Soon afterwards, Nvidia general counsel Tim Teter confronted Huang at his home, where the CEO confessed, per the details in the Bloomberg report. The board subsequently announced an investigation led by prominent law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.
3. Huang admitted to affair; his response time grew longer
Following the confrontation, Jensen Huang issued an email, addressing his wife, children and Nvidia colleagues, on Sunday, admitting to the affair and apologising to his family. He also vowed to "cooperate fully" with the board's investigation.
The scandal appeared to be affecting his ability to focus on his responsibilities at Nvidia. Huang, who had around 60 executives reporting directly to him, was known for closely monitoring the company's operations. Employees were required to submit emails listing their top five priorities, which Huang would routinely review and respond to, often immediately, at all hours.
However, his response times had reportedly grown longer in the days leading up to his exit, indicating how much the controversy was consuming his attention.
4. Another ‘affair’, then resignation
The crisis escalated further on Wednesday, when The New York Times reported that Huang was also having an extramarital relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare.
This time, the board acted quickly. Directors assembled remotely on Wednesday, with their meeting stretching late into the night. Unlike the initial allegations involving Alice Huang, which the board had initially been reluctant to address, the latest developments led to decisive action.
Huang was ultimately given no choice but to resign, ending his formal association with the company he had co-founded. The following morning, Nvidia announced that Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress would take over as interim CEO.
5. Wife is Huang's ‘main concern’
Despite the dramatic fall from power, Huang's biggest concern in recent days has reportedly been his wife rather than his own future, Bloomberg reported, citing people who have spoken with him. He reportedly has claimed not to care what happens to himself at this point.
His main concern, he says, is his wife, and not "ruining the lives" of the multiple women now romantically linked to him in the public imagination.
While the California-based company said that Colette Kress - who has been Nvidia's chief financial officer and executive vice president since 2013 - will step into the role of interim CEO, Huang's exit leaves the firm facing the difficult task of finding a successor to a leader who played several roles - technologist, executive, marketer, lobbyist and public face.
With reportedly no traditional succession plan in place, the board now faces the challenge of finding someone capable of filling his shoes.
Meanwhile, Huang is expected to testify before Congress in the coming weeks, where lawmakers are likely to question him about his relationship with Alice Huang and whether it could have exposed Nvidia's advanced chip secrets to risk.