Nvidia removes CEO Jensen Huang; Colette Kress is interim

On November 12, Nvidia's board removed longtime chief executive Jensen Huang and named CFO Colette Kress interim CEO. Earlier reporting said directors had not decided and might meet November 11; later accounts said he was already out, amid alleged affairs and large chip-purchase guarantees.

November 14, 2026 1 min read 8 sources AI-generated

Nvidia's board removed co-founder Jensen Huang as chief executive on November 12, ending his run of more than three decades as its only CEO. Chief financial officer Colette Kress has been named interim CEO while directors look for a permanent replacement, the first handoff at the top.

The Wall Street Journal reported that directors were moving to dismiss him for two extramarital relationships, had reached no final decision, and might convene on November 11 at the earliest. Subsequent November 12 reports said he was already removed and not retained as chairman, judged too severe a liability for any post. Shares fell 8 percent in after-hours trading after those reports and were 20 percent lower than at the start of the scandals. An independent investigation by the board began on November 8.

One account says Huang admitted an affair this week with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman U.S. intelligence believes is a Chinese intelligence asset. He is also alleged to have been involved with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia vice president for health care, a manager who reported to him. Five people from inside the company said colleagues knew, and the two were reportedly observed together in San Jose at a hotel while March GTC was in session. A further employee was also alleged. The code treats personal relationships as possible conflicts, tells staff to consult Legal, and does not ban every boss-subordinate pair, so whether he breached it stayed unclear.

A successor would be CEO number two across 33 years, with no peer described as ready. Many prefer Ian Buck, CUDA's creator and vice president for hyperscale and high-performance computing. Another report says he likely left over risky deals more so than over romance: cloud providers received billions in chip-order guarantees, including $250 billion planned with OpenAI, and Huang reportedly resisted Kress's effort to limit them.

Key points

Huang was removed as Nvidia CEO on November 12, and Colette Kress was named interim CEO.
The Wall Street Journal said no final decision had been made before a possible November 11 meeting; later November 12 reports said he was already out and would not remain chairman.
One account says he admitted an affair with Alice Huang, whom U.S. intelligence believes is a Chinese intelligence asset; a relationship with vice president Kimberly Powell was alleged.
Many favor CUDA creator Ian Buck next, in what would be only the second CEO appointment in 33 years.
Other reporting says cloud chip-purchase guarantees, including a $250 billion OpenAI plan that Kress tried to limit, likely weighed more in his exit than his personal life.