Quick answer (as of Nov. 13, 2026): Jensen Huang resigned as Nvidia’s CEO, president and board member on Nov. 11, 2026, effective immediately, according to Nvidia’s SEC filing. It came after a week of reports about extramarital relationships, including one with a woman U.S. officials reportedly believe was working for Chinese intelligence. CFO Colette Kress is interim CEO.
Nvidia has not given a reason for his exit. Huang has publicly admitted only that he was “unfaithful” to his wife. The newest claim, a third relationship reported by Reuters on Nov. 12, comes from anonymous sources and has not been confirmed by Nvidia or Huang.
Timeline: how the week unfolded
| Date | What happened | Reported by |
|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | Short seller Culper Research flags Huang’s relationship with a former executive of a chip distributor | Newsweek |
| Late Oct. 2026 | The New York Times reports U.S. intelligence believes that woman was recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security to gather information on Huang | The New York Times |
| Sun., Nov. 8 | Nvidia’s board opens an independent investigation. Huang tells employees he was “unfaithful” and apologizes | Newsweek, Al Jazeera, CNBC |
| Mon., Nov. 9 | Nvidia stock falls 4.3%. A shareholder class action is filed in federal court in Northern California | Newsweek |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | The NYT reports an affair with a Nvidia vice president who reported to Huang. Board accepts his resignation that night | The New York Times, Nvidia 8-K |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Nvidia announces the CEO change. Reuters reports a relationship with another Nvidia employee. Stock drops about 14% at the open, closes down 4.3% | Nvidia, Reuters, Al Jazeera, CNBC |
What is confirmed and what is not
This story moves fast, and a lot of it rests on unnamed sources. Here is how the pieces stack up.
| Claim | Status |
|---|---|
| Huang resigned as CEO, president and director | Confirmed (Nvidia Form 8-K, Nov. 11) |
| Colette Kress is interim CEO | Confirmed (Nvidia press release, Nov. 12) |
| Huang admitted being unfaithful | Confirmed (his Nov. 8 letter to employees) |
| The woman tied to Chinese intelligence | Reported, based on unnamed U.S. officials; no charges announced |
| Affair with a Nvidia vice president | Reported by the NYT, citing five former employees |
| Relationship with another Nvidia employee | Reported by Reuters, citing two people; unconfirmed |
| National security secrets were leaked | No evidence. The board said it had “no reason to believe” that happened |
Why the board acted so fast
On Sunday, Nov. 8, the board backed Huang. It said it had confidence in his leadership while the investigation ran.
That support lasted three days. The Wall Street Journal reported late Wednesday that directors were preparing to push him out. A person familiar with the decision told CNBC that sentiment “quickly turned” after a second relationship was reported.
The key difference: the second report involved a Nvidia executive who reported directly to Huang. Most big U.S. companies treat a CEO’s relationship with a subordinate as a serious policy issue. It raises questions about favoritism, pay and promotions.
There is a well-known precedent. Intel’s CEO Brian Krzanich resigned in June 2018 after the company found he’d had a consensual relationship with an employee. McDonald’s ousted CEO Steve Easterbrook in November 2019 for the same reason.
The national security angle
This is what makes the Nvidia case different from a typical CEO scandal. Nvidia makes the AI chips the U.S. government restricts from export to China.
According to the NYT, U.S. intelligence believes the woman Huang had a relationship with was recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security. Newsweek describes her as a Chinese national, a former TV reporter and a onetime executive at Megaspeed, a chip distributor. CNN reported, per Newsweek, that the intelligence did not prove she was spying.
No one has been charged. President Trump told reporters on Nov. 9 that Huang “had absolutely no idea” the person was a spy, and that the FBI was involved.
Also read: What Jensen Huang’s exit means for Nvidia stock owners
Who is involved and who decides
| Person or group | Role now |
|---|---|
| Jensen Huang | Co-founder; resigned as CEO and director on Nov. 11 |
| Colette Kress | Interim CEO, still CFO (EVP and CFO since 2013) |
| Harvey C. Jones | Named Nvidia’s first-ever board chair on Nov. 11; on the board since 1993 |
| Nvidia board | Running the CEO search; will consider internal and outside candidates |
| House Foreign Affairs Committee | Chair Brian Mast said a subpoena would follow if Huang didn’t cooperate |
| Senate Banking Committee | Chair Tim Scott invited Huang to a public hearing on Dec. 3 |
| U.S. District Court, N.D. California | Hears the shareholder class action filed Nov. 9 |
Who is Colette Kress?
Kress, 59, has been Nvidia’s chief financial officer since 2013. Wall Street knows her well from quarterly earnings calls.
She keeps the CFO job while serving as interim CEO “until a permanent successor has been named,” per Nvidia’s release. That’s a common setup in sudden exits. It keeps steady hands on the money while the board searches.
Interim CEOs sometimes get the permanent job. Often, though, boards in a crisis look outside to signal a fresh start.
What happens next: key dates to watch
- Congressional testimony. CNBC reported Huang agreed to testify before Congress before Thanksgiving (Nov. 26). The exact committee and date have not been announced.
- Dec. 3: Senate Banking hearing. Sen. Tim Scott invited Huang to a public hearing. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was invited for Dec. 10.
- Board investigation results. No timeline has been given. The board said an outside independent counsel is helping.
- CEO search. No candidates are confirmed. Trump suggested Apple’s Tim Cook on Truth Social; that is not a company statement.
- Shareholder lawsuit. The case claims Nvidia and Huang inflated the stock by not disclosing the relationship. Cases like this often take a year or more.
- Next earnings report. Watch Nvidia’s investor relations page for the date and any comment on leadership.
Made-up example (for illustration only): Imagine “Dana,” a retiree in Ohio with a 401(k) target-date fund. She never bought Nvidia directly. But Nvidia is one of the largest companies in the S&P 500, so her fund owns some. When NVDA dropped 14% at the open on Nov. 12, her balance dipped a little too. That’s why a CEO scandal at one company can show up in millions of retirement accounts.
The ripple effects beyond Nvidia
The fallout did not stay inside one company. On Nov. 12, CNBC reported that Super Micro shares fell 12% after Semafor reported a Justice Department probe into groups linked to the same woman. Semafor cited two officials, and no charges have been announced.
In Hong Kong, Alibaba shares fell about 7% on reports it was a Megaspeed customer, according to CNBC.
Washington is also pulling on a second thread: chip exports. Democrats Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Richard Neal sent Commerce Secretary Lutnick a letter opening an inquiry into export approvals for China-linked companies. Axios reported Lutnick had stalled a crackdown on firms routing Nvidia chips to China.
Wall Street analysts are adjusting too. Cantor Fitzgerald’s CJ Muse cut his Nvidia price target from $350 to $250 but kept an overweight (buy) rating, CNBC reported. In plain English: he still likes the business but expects the leadership shake-up to weigh on the stock.
For everyday Americans, the bigger point is this. Nvidia’s chips power the AI boom, and AI spending props up a big slice of the stock market. When its leader leaves suddenly, investors ask whether the company’s pace of new products will slow. So far, Nvidia’s spokesperson has insisted it will not.
Common mistakes people make reading this story
- Treating every report as fact. Only the resignation, the interim CEO and Huang’s admission are on the record.
- Assuming he was fired. The filing says he resigned. Rep. John Moolenaar called it a “firing,” which is his view, not the record.
- Assuming secrets leaked. The board said it had no reason to believe that.
- Panic-selling index funds. One company’s bad week rarely changes a long-term plan. Talk to a licensed advisor before big moves.
FAQ
Did Jensen Huang get fired?
Officially, no. Nvidia’s 8-K says he resigned and the board accepted it on Nov. 11. Some lawmakers and outlets call it an ouster, since the WSJ reported directors were preparing to push him out.
Who runs Nvidia now?
Colette Kress, the CFO, is interim CEO. Harvey C. Jones is the new board chair.
Was Jensen Huang charged with a crime?
No. As of Nov. 13, 2026, no charges have been announced against Huang or anyone tied to him in these reports.
Does Huang still own Nvidia stock?
The resignation filing did not list severance or equity terms. His holdings will show up in future SEC filings.
Will he testify before Congress?
CNBC reported he agreed to testify before Thanksgiving. The Senate Banking Committee invited him for Dec. 3.
Bottom line
Jensen Huang led Nvidia for 33 years and built it into one of the world’s most valuable companies. He left in a single week. The confirmed facts are short: he resigned, admitted infidelity, and the board is investigating. Much of the rest comes from anonymous sources. We’ll update this page as filings, hearings and the investigation produce real answers.
Last reviewed: Nov. 13, 2026. This is a developing story.
Sources: Nvidia Form 8-K (SEC.gov); Nvidia press release, Nov. 12; Al Jazeera; Newsweek; TechCrunch; CNBC; reporting by The New York Times, Reuters and The Wall Street Journal as cited by those outlets.
Featured image credit: Photo: Anderseidesvik / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; edited by Nexgen Headlines.
