Former Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang is reportedly exploring a return to the top job only days after resigning amid allegations that he had an affair with a woman suspected by US authorities of being a Chinese spy.
Huang, 63, left the leadership role at the $4 trillion technology company he co-founded on Thursday after reports emerged that he may also have had a relationship with Nvidia Vice President of Healthcare Kimberly Powell.
Reuters later reported that Huang was allegedly involved in a third extramarital relationship with another unidentified Nvidia employee. Huang has publicly acknowledged only the alleged affair involving Alice Huang, who is not related to him.
Despite the allegations surfacing only recently, Huang has already held talks with influential Silicon Valley figures about a possible return as CEO, people involved in the effort told the Financial Times.
One ally of the former chief told the publication that a group of Silicon Valley executives has established what it described as a “war room” to campaign for Huang’s reinstatement.
The group is seeking backing from the White House, while Huang is said to be supporting the effort from behind the scenes, according to the source.
A number of Nvidia investors, employees and technology executives have already voiced support for Huang, pointing to his 33-year record at the company and the strategic vision that helped make Nvidia a central player in the artificial intelligence boom.
An open letter urging Huang to return has reportedly received the support of Elon Musk, Epic Games chief executive Tim Sweeney, nearly 9,000 current and former Nvidia employees, and more than 83,000 investors.
Sources involved in the campaign say former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is seeking a return just days after stepping down. He is pictured with his wife, Lori
Huang has acknowledged an alleged affair with businesswoman Alice Huang, who US authorities suspect may be a Chinese spy
Huang has also faced allegations involving Nvidia Vice President of Healthcare Kimberly Powell (right) and another unidentified employee
The executives seeking Huang’s return could face opposition in Washington. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that Nvidia needed a “dramatic shakeup” of its leadership.
President Donald Trump has continued to speak favorably about Huang since the allegations became public and the resignation was announced, describing him as “a tremendous talent.”
Trump also said Huang was justified in stepping down if Alice Huang is ultimately confirmed to have been working as a spy.
“It’s sad. He’s a tremendous talent. He did something nobody else did. He has a chip that’s so complex, so brilliant, you can’t copy it. What he’s done is incredible, he built an incredible company,” Trump told CNN’s Stephen A. Smith on Thursday.
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When Smith directly asked whether Huang had made the right decision by resigning, Trump paused before responding.
“The big thing was, was the woman a spy? If the woman was a spy, yes, if the woman was not a spy perhaps it would be different,” the president said.
Alice Huang is an executive at Singapore-based data-center company Megaspeed, which US authorities suspect of helping move restricted Nvidia chips into China.
Authorities also allege that she was assigned to obtain confidential information from Huang and influence Nvidia’s commercial decisions in ways that could improve China’s access to the company’s chips.
Sources say Silicon Valley executives are supporting Huang’s possible comeback both publicly and through private lobbying
Supporters are pressing for Huang’s return despite his admitted relationship with Alice, citing his highly successful 33-year tenure at Nvidia
Nvidia’s strict policies governing workplace relationships could create another obstacle to Huang’s proposed return. He is pictured with his wife
Powell, who has been linked to Huang in separate allegations, is also married. Nvidia maintains strict policies regarding relationships between employees, particularly when they involve managers and members of their teams.
That policy could significantly complicate Huang’s efforts to return. One person involved in the campaign told the Financial Times that “having an affair with a subordinate is a fireable offence.”
Unlike some other prominent Silicon Valley founders, Huang does not hold a controlling stake in Nvidia and therefore cannot overrule a decision by the board.
The company is currently being led on an interim basis by Colette Kress, Nvidia’s former executive vice president and chief financial officer.
Nvidia’s market value has fallen 12.75 percent since the allegations and Huang’s resignation became public. The stock has also declined by roughly 32 percent from its early-October peak of $5.8 trillion, as the wider AI sector faces a significant pullback.
The sell-off erased approximately $550 billion in market value during the week the affair allegations emerged and about $1.9 trillion since the October high. Nvidia ended trading on Friday with a market capitalization of roughly $3.9 trillion.
Interim CEO Kress now faces the difficult task of stabilizing Nvidia ahead of the company’s quarterly earnings report on Tuesday.
Our News Outlet has contacted Nvidia for comment.
