Nvidia probes Huang affair and Chinese chip sales after resignation

Colette Kress takes over as interim CEO

Nvidia chief financial officer Colette Kress has taken over as the company's interim CEO, ndtvprofit.com reported on November 13, 2026. Kress continues to hold her position as head of finance while serving in this interim role.

Biographer Stephen Witt labels Huang as arrogant

Stephen Witt, author of the 2025 biography The Thinking Machine, published a New York Times opinion essay on November 13, 2026, titled The Fall of the A.I. King regarding his observations of Huang. Witt claimed that Huang's public humility was a performance, stating that in reality, "Mr. Huang was quite arrogant" and possessed "little tolerance for disagreement". Huang was quite arrogant" and possessed "little tolerance for disagreement".

NDTV Profit reported on November 13, 2026, that the biographer described Huang as "quite arrogant" following his departure. The biographer also claimed that the humility previously exhibited by Huang was an act.

The Hindustan Times reported on November 13, 2026, that the biographer stated the CEO's public persona as a "family man" was an act. The New York Times published an opinion piece on November 12, 2026, exploring factors that contributed to the downfall of Jensen Huang. New York Magazine released an article on November 13, 2026, detailing 17 different perspectives regarding the situation involving Huang at Nvidia.

Nvidia board investigates affair with Kimberly Powell

Huang acknowledged this infidelity to Nvidia staff.

He denied that his actions had any national security implications. Nvidia’s board has launched an independent investigation and stated they have no reason to believe company secrets or national security were compromised.

Allegations of Chinese intelligence ties and chip sales

US authorities identified Alice Huang as a Chinese intelligence asset, according to The New York Times, an allegation that China has denied.

Witt alleges that Huang gained Donald Trump's trust to ease chip sale restrictions to China.

Concerns regarding gender parity and corporate culture

Nvidia employed few women in its early years and used a computer-generated pixie named Dawn as its mascot. Men currently account for approximately 80% of the employees at Nvidia.

Author Stephen Witt recalls Jensen Huang delivering a speech regarding gender parity at Nvidia's campus in 2023. Following reports about Kimberly Powell, Witt reconsidered his perspective on that 2023 speech.

Potential impact on Huang family trusts

Jensen and Lori Huang's children, Madison and Spencer, both hold executive roles at Nvidia.

Witt speculates that if the couple were to divorce, Lori Huang could become one of the wealthiest women in America due to their joint ownership of hundreds of millions of Nvidia shares held in family trusts.

Future leadership challenges for Nvidia

Nvidia's board is seeking a permanent successor for the CEO role and is considering both internal and external candidates. Reuters reported that interim CEO Colette Kress was one of the few executives who would push back against Huang when he wanted to make major business bets.

Witt expressed doubt that a finance executive is the correct long-term solution for the CEO position. He believes the CEO role requires someone who can understand engineering, finalize deals with powerful customers, and manage chip supply issues with Taiwan.