The Chief Executive Officer of American technology company Nvidia, Jensen Huang, has resigned following reports of two alleged extramarital affairs, including one involving a businesswoman suspected by US authorities of having links to Chinese intelligence.
According to the BBC, Nvidia announced on Thursday that Huang had stepped down as president, chief executive officer and board member with immediate effect.
The company’s Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, Colette Kress, has been appointed interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent replacement.
The announcement followed a board meeting on Wednesday to consider Huang’s position after reports emerged of a second alleged relationship involving an Nvidia executive.
In a statement published on its website, Nvidia said Kress would retain her role as chief financial officer while serving as interim chief executive.
The company also appointed board member Harvey Jones, a former chief executive of technology firm Synopsys, as its first-ever board chairman.
Huang’s resignation comes amid increased scrutiny of his personal relationships and concerns over possible foreign intelligence activities involving the company.
The New York Times had earlier reported that Huang was involved in a relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive of Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed International, who US intelligence officials reportedly suspected of working for China.
Huang later admitted in a message to Nvidia employees that he had been unfaithful to his wife, apologising to her and their children.
In another report published on Wednesday, The New York Times alleged that he also had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice-president of healthcare, who reportedly reported directly to him.
The newspaper, citing sources familiar with the matter, said the pair were seen behaving affectionately at a hotel during an Nvidia conference in March.
Nvidia’s board had previously launched an independent investigation into reports that Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence operation.
The company said at the time that it had no reason to believe its trade secrets or national security had been compromised.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Thursday that Nvidia shares fell by more than 10 per cent in pre-market trading following the announcement of Huang’s departure.
Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and led the company for more than three decades, transforming it from a graphics chip manufacturer into a major supplier of processors used in artificial intelligence systems.
Its chips have become central to the global AI industry, making Nvidia one of the world’s most valuable technology companies.
