Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang has resigned as president, chief executive and a member of the board of directors, ending his 33-year leadership of the artificial intelligence chipmaker after revelations of two extramarital relationships triggered a corporate investigation and heightened national security concerns.

The company’s board announced the departure on Thursday, November 12, 2026, with immediate effect. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress, who has held the position since 2013, will serve as interim chief executive while the board searches for a permanent replacement, considering candidates from within and outside the company.

Harvey C. Jones has also been appointed chairman of the board, in what the company described as its first-ever appointment to the position.

Affairs allegations trigger leadership crisis

Jensen Huang’s departure follows weeks of scrutiny over his relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based cloud computing and data centre company Megaspeed. U.S. intelligence officials reportedly suspect that she was recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security to gather information about Nvidia and its artificial intelligence technology.

Nvidia’s board launched an independent investigation on November 8, appointing outside legal counsel to examine reports that Huang had been targeted in a foreign intelligence operation.

Jensen Huang subsequently acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife in an internal message to employees, apologising to his family and colleagues and pledging to cooperate with the investigation.

Stock market pressure and billionaire wealth decline

The leadership crisis has weighed on Nvidia shares, intensifying concerns among investors about the company’s dependence on its co-founder. On Monday, November 9, the chipmaker’s shares fell 4.27%, reducing Huang’s fortune by more than $6.47 billion in a single trading session, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

His estimated net worth declined from $154.9 billion to $148 billion, while Nvidia’s market capitalisation fell to approximately $4.31 trillion. The losses followed a broader decline in the company’s shares as investors assessed the potential consequences of the allegations and the board’s investigation.

From graphics chips to the centre of the AI economy

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 as a graphics processor developer serving the video game industry. The company introduced its first graphics processing unit in 1999 before expanding into accelerated computing and artificial intelligence.

Under his leadership, Nvidia became a central supplier of processors powering major AI systems and data centres worldwide. Its technology and partnerships have extended into entertainment, robotics, music and voice-based artificial intelligence, making the leadership transition consequential for the wider technology industry. Kress now faces the immediate responsibility of maintaining operational stability as the board begins its search for a permanent chief executive.