Jensen Huang leaves Nvidia amid alleged espionage scandal
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Al Jazeera and L’essentiel
Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, has resigned after revelations about two extramarital relationships, one involving a woman accused of spying for China. Nvidia lost more than $600 billion in market capitalisation this week, according to Al Jazeera.
Jensen Huang is also stepping down as chairman and director of Nvidia with immediate effect. Chief financial officer Colette Kress will serve as interim CEO, while the board will consider internal and external candidates to find a permanent successor.
The departure comes after investigations by the FBI, the US Congress and Nvidia into Huang’s alleged relationships with a suspected Chinese spy and a company executive. Nvidia is also facing a shareholder class action, reports Al Jazeera.
Aged 63, Huang held around 3.6% of Nvidia’s capital and was among the world’s wealthiest people. He was a close ally of Donald Trump and had advocated easing US restrictions on chip exports to China. The US president said Huang had told him he had “absolutely no idea” that his relationship involved a person linked to intelligence.
