Who replaces Jensen Huang? Nvidia board briefs White House on exit

Nvidia's board is preparing to remove CEO Jensen Huang after he had two extramarital affairs, including one with a suspected Chinese spy, the Wall Street Journal reported on November 11. The board met Wednesday evening but had not announced a decision.

Some board members favor appointing CFO Colette Kress as interim CEO. The board has also debated adding a chief operating officer alongside the interim chief. Nvidia has tapped an outside search firm to find its next CEO.

The scandal centers on Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen and executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based AI infrastructure company. U.S. officials believe she is a Chinese spy who has been feeding information to Beijing. Megaspeed reportedly purchased $4.8 billion in Nvidia chips over two years and has been investigated by the U.S. and Singapore over suspicions of illegally sharing chips with China. The Justice Department has taken over the federal investigation.

Huang also had an extramarital relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare, according to the New York Times.

Huang has agreed to appear before Congress after Representatives Brian Mast, John Moolenaar, and Rick Crawford requested his presence at a closed-door hearing.

Nvidia is the world's leading chipmaker and a linchpin of the AI boom. An abrupt leadership change could unsettle investors and the broader market. One analyst said Huang's immediate removal could be challenging because Nvidia does not have a succession plan in place.

The board's move is not just a corporate succession story. It is colliding with a Washington national-security fight over China's access to advanced AI chips.

The board has not announced its decision.