Jensen Huang Steps Down as Nvidia CEO After Shaking Leadership Turmoil; Elon Musk Offers Public Support

Nvidia announced Thursday that co-founder Jensen Huang has stepped down from his roles as president, chief executive officer, and board director, effective immediately. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress has taken over as interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent successor, with longtime director Harvey Jones stepping into the role of board chairman.

Huang’s departure follows a tumultuous period that saw Nvidia lose $450 billion in market value after Huang publicly apologized for an extramarital affair with Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based cloud partner Megaspeed. Reports subsequently emerged regarding additional relationships with Nvidia vice president of health care Kimberly Powell and another unnamed employee. Although the board initially stood by him following an independent investigation, further revelations prompted his exit.

As the corporate landscape digests the departure of the leader who built Nvidia into the centerpiece of the artificial intelligence boom, prominent figures have rushed to weigh in. Elon Musk responded on social media to a suggestion that he hire Huang, writing that doing so would be an honor. Other industry leaders offered mixed reactions, with Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney comparing the ouster to Apple firing Steve Jobs, while Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire called Huang's conduct objectionable yet labeled him irreplaceable for American AI leadership.

What to watch next: Monitor the interim leadership's handling of the permanent CEO search and whether high-profile tech partnerships remain stable amid the transition.