Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang has resigned as chief executive and left the company’s board, bringing an abrupt end to his 33-year leadership of the US chipmaker at the centre of the artificial intelligence industry.
Nvidia announced the departure on Thursday 12 November 2026, naming its chief financial officer Colette Kress as interim CEO. Harvey C. Jones has become the company’s first board chairman, while directors search for a permanent replacement.
What Nvidia has confirmed
Nvidia’s US securities filing says its board accepted Huang’s resignation on 11 November, with immediate effect. The company publicly announced the leadership change the following day. Huang has also resigned as president and director.
Kress, who has been Nvidia’s chief financial officer since September 2013, will retain her finance responsibilities while serving as interim chief executive. Nvidia says it will consider both internal and external candidates for the permanent role.
Jones, a board member since 1993 and a former Synopsys chief executive, was appointed chairman. He said directors expected customer commitments, operations and Nvidia’s product roadmap to continue without interruption.
What led to Huang’s departure?
The announcement follows days of scrutiny over reports about Huang’s personal relationships and concerns that he may have been targeted by Chinese intelligence. Nvidia’s resignation announcement does not expressly give a reason for his departure, and the reported events should not be presented as a concluded finding of misconduct or espionage.
On 8 November, Huang publicly acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife, apologised to his family and employees and promised to cooperate with a board investigation into national security concerns. His acknowledgement of infidelity did not amount to an admission of spying, unlawful chip exports or the disclosure of company secrets.
News reports have identified Alice Huang, a former executive of Singapore-based Megaspeed, as a woman whom US authorities reportedly suspected of links to Chinese intelligence. She is not related to Jensen Huang. China has rejected the espionage allegation. The New York Times has also reported a separate alleged relationship involving Kimberly Powell, a senior Nvidia executive. The allegations have not been established as findings by Nvidia’s inquiry or a court.
What does Nvidia’s investigation cover?
In a statement dated 8 November, Nvidia’s board said independent directors and external lawyers would investigate reports that Huang had been targeted by a foreign intelligence effort. At that stage it stated it had no reason to believe either US national security or Nvidia secrets had been compromised.
On 10 November, the independent directors identified former acting US attorney Joon H. Kim and the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz as the external legal team conducting the inquiry. Nvidia has not announced its findings. The resignation does not, by itself, establish the truth of the espionage allegations.
How have Nvidia shares reacted?
Reuters reported that Nvidia shares fell more than 12% in early US trading on Thursday following the announcement, putting the company on course for a market-value decline of approximately $500 billion if those losses persisted. This is an early-trading snapshot, not a confirmed closing loss or money paid out by the company.
Investors face uncertainty over the succession to Huang, who co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and shaped its growth from graphics processors into the chips used to train and run many leading AI systems. A change of chief executive does not mean Nvidia’s chip supply or existing products have stopped.
What happens next?
Nvidia says its scheduled third-quarter fiscal 2027 financial results will still be announced on Tuesday 17 November. The board has not given a timetable for naming a permanent CEO or completing the independent investigation.
- Confirmed: Huang has resigned as chief executive, president and director; Kress is interim CEO; Jones is board chairman.
- Under investigation: whether Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence effort and whether Nvidia information or security interests were affected.
- Not established: any finding that Huang knowingly assisted espionage, breached export controls or disclosed company secrets.
Earlier Fish 4 News coverage
Our reporting has followed the developing investigation from Huang’s apology and the initial board inquiry, through the earlier share-price losses, to the board’s consideration of his future. Follow the Nvidia Jensen Huang investigation for related coverage.
Sources
- Nvidia: CEO transition announcement, 12 November 2026
- Nvidia: US SEC Form 8-K, filed 12 November 2026
- Nvidia board: independent investigation statement, 8 November 2026
- Nvidia independent directors: legal counsel appointment, 10 November 2026
- Nvidia: Jensen Huang’s employee message, 8 November 2026
- Reuters: resignation, allegations and market reaction, 12 November 2026
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