Key facts
- Nvidia's board said Huang resigned as president, CEO and board member, effective immediately.
- Nikkei Asia reported allegations that Huang had an intimate relationship with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy.
- The report said disclosure of a relationship with a company executive added to the matter.
- The report said Nvidia shares fell after the allegations emerged, without giving a figure.
- The report said Trump had spoken in support of Huang since the allegations emerged.
Nvidia's board announced on Thursday that Jensen Huang had resigned as president, chief executive and board member, effective immediately, Nikkei Asia reported on November 13, 2026. The report said allegations had emerged that Huang had an intimate relationship with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy, and that disclosure of a relationship with a company executive added to the matter. It did not name either woman.
The report said Huang had maintained close ties with President Donald Trump, who had spoken in support of him since the allegations emerged. It said Democrats had won control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress, and that Trump was scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during the APEC summit the following week.
Nvidia designs advanced AI chips and is one of the largest customers of Taiwan's TSMC, the report said. It said Huang had visited Taiwan and other parts of Asia frequently and built relationships with the region's technology executives, and that his departure could give Chinese semiconductor companies a chance to gain ground.
The report said Nvidia shares fell after the allegations emerged, without giving a figure. It said Nvidia also funds AI startups and cloud computing companies that buy its chips, and that the loss of Huang raised questions about the durability of the AI-driven stock market rise. It said Nvidia's financial performance was unlikely to suffer an immediate direct impact because technology companies remain reliant on its share of the advanced AI semiconductor market.