Jensen Huang Resigns as NVIDIA CEO After 33 Years at Helm

NVIDIA said on November 12, 2026 that co-founder Jensen Huang would immediately resign as president, chief executive and a director. Colette Kress, NVIDIA’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, became interim CEO, while Harvey C. Jones became the company’s first-ever board chair.

The move ends Huang’s 33-year run at the company, which he joined as co-founder in 1993, and puts Kress in charge while the board searches for a permanent chief. NVIDIA said the existing leadership team would continue executing its strategy and advancing its technology roadmap.

Why did Huang resign?

NVIDIA’s announcement did not explicitly identify the personal controversy as the reason. It came after weeks of scrutiny, Huang’s November 8 acknowledgment to employees and the board’s independent investigation into reports that he may have been targeted by a foreign intelligence effort.

Media reports said Huang had an affair with Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based AI infrastructure company Megaspeed International. Alice Huang is not related to Jensen Huang.

U.S. intelligence officials reportedly suspected Alice Huang had connections to Chinese intelligence. Megaspeed also faced scrutiny over allegations involving the diversion of advanced NVIDIA chips to China.

Additional media reports alleged a separate intimate relationship between Huang and an NVIDIA employee who reported to him.

On November 8, Huang publicly acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife and apologized to his family, colleagues and shareholders. He wrote:

“I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.”

NVIDIA’s board subsequently opened the independent investigation with assistance from independent legal counsel. The board said it had no reason to believe company secrets or national security had been compromised.

The controversy also intensified scrutiny of Huang’s leadership and NVIDIA’s relationships with businesses operating in China, according to the reports that preceded the announcement.

The unresolved issue is simple: NVIDIA disclosed the departure and the investigation, but it did not publicly link Huang’s resignation to the allegations.

Who will run NVIDIA during the search?

NVIDIA said Kress has held executive vice president and chief financial officer roles since September 2013. She will assume broader executive responsibility as interim CEO while continuing as chief financial officer. Before joining NVIDIA, she spent nearly 25 years in financial leadership positions at Cisco and Microsoft.

The board has begun a search for a permanent CEO and will consider internal and external candidates. Jones said:

“Colette has helped lead NVIDIA through a period of extraordinary growth and has a deep understanding of our business, customers, operations and financial position. She is supported by an experienced leadership team that has been instrumental in executing NVIDIA’s strategy and advancing its technology roadmap.

The Board has full confidence in Colette and the leadership team, and we expect the company’s operations, customer commitments and product roadmap to continue without interruption.”

For now, Kress is both NVIDIA’s interim operating chief and chief financial officer.

What changes with NVIDIA’s first board chair?

NVIDIA said Jones brings more than 30 years of experience as a technology executive, entrepreneur and venture investor. His previous roles include chief executive officer and executive chairman of Synopsys. As the first-ever chair, Jones will help oversee governance and the leadership succession process.

Kress said:

“NVIDIA’s strength has always come from its people, and together with our leadership team, I am committed to building on the extraordinary foundation Jensen created over the last 33 years.

We will continue advancing the work that has made NVIDIA a leader in accelerated computing and AI, and execute on the opportunities ahead. Our focus remains on serving our customers, partners, developers and shareholders.”

The new chair’s immediate job is to govern the search and keep management accountable to the company’s roadmap.

What did Huang leave behind?

In its succession announcement, NVIDIA described Huang as central to the company’s technology strategy and its position in the global AI industry. The company’s account of the transition highlighted four areas:

• A dominant position in graphics processing technology.
• Expansion into accelerated computing and high-performance computing.
• A role in AI infrastructure, including processors and computing systems used to train and deploy advanced AI models.
• A software and developer ecosystem serving cloud computing, enterprise infrastructure, robotics and scientific research.

The board acknowledged Huang’s contributions to NVIDIA and the broader technology industry as it moved ahead with succession.

NVIDIA’s product roadmap remains with Kress and her leadership team, while the board controls the permanent-CEO search.

When does NVIDIA update investors?

NVIDIA confirmed that it will release third-quarter fiscal 2027 financial results on November 17, 2026, as previously scheduled. The release is set for approximately 1:20 p.m. Pacific Time, followed by an earnings conference call at 2 p.m. Pacific Time.

The company said the report will provide investors with a financial update following the leadership transition.

The next checkpoint comes November 17, when NVIDIA reports results with the permanent-CEO search and independent investigation still underway. Those results will test the board’s promise that operations, customer commitments and the product roadmap will continue without interruption.