‘Whatever... I don't care’ — Ex-Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says his primary concern is his wife and avoiding ‘ruining the lives’ of women linked to him rather than his own fate

USA: Jensen Huang, the man who helped turn Nvidia into an artificial intelligence powerhouse, reportedly ended his final days as CEO feeling defeated, with little concern about his own future.

According to a person close to the matter, Huang’s leadership spirit had faded. He had begun using phrases such as “whatever” and “I don’t care”. People who spoke with him in recent days said Huang had become deeply critical of himself, even describing himself as a “piece of sh*t”.

The billionaire reportedly said he no longer cared what happened to him, with his primary concern being his wife and avoiding “ruining the lives” of the multiple women romantically linked to him.

The dramatic departure followed weeks of allegations about extramarital relationships, including one involving a woman suspected by US authorities of spying for China, The Star reported (Nov 13), which carried Bloomberg’s report.

Huang’s denials gave way to an admission

The controversy initially centred on Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman suspected of having links to Chinese intelligence.

Jensen Huang had reportedly denied being unfaithful to his wife when questioned by colleagues since late 2025. In a Bloomberg interview, he described his dealings with Alice as normal business interactions with Chinese customers and executives.

The situation changed on Nov 6, when the Financial Times reported that US officials believed their relationship was romantic. Nvidia’s general counsel, Tim Teter, subsequently visited Jensen Huang at home. Huang then admitted to the relationship.

The board announced an investigation the following day, appointing law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to lead the inquiry. Huang later emailed employees, admitting his affair, apologising to his family and promising to cooperate with the investigation.

Second reported affair sealed his departure

The situation took another turn on Wednesday, when The New York Times reported that Huang had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare.

Following a late-night board meeting, Huang resigned from Nvidia, ending his association with the company. His resignation ended his association with Nvidia, the company he had spent decades building.

The next morning, the board announced that Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress would become interim CEO. She sought to reassure employees, promising an all-hands meeting on Nov 18.

Nvidia faces a difficult search for its next CEO

Finding Huang’s replacement will be a major task. He had about 60 executives reporting directly to him and played several roles, from technical leader to public face of the company.

Possible successors included Advanced Micro Devices CEO Lisa Su and Arm Holdings CEO Rene Haas. The company also lacked a traditional succession plan.

Huang, meanwhile, still faces questions from US lawmakers about his relationship with Alice Huang and whether Nvidia’s sensitive chip technology could have been exposed.

According to people who had spoken with him, the former Nvidia CEO had begun speaking harshly about himself, describing himself in deeply insulting terms.

Also, Huang reportedly cared less about his own fate than protecting his wife and preventing the women linked to him from having their lives damaged.

Photo: Nick Karean/AI illustration · Based on actual image

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and wife Lori Huang attend the Breakthrough Prize event

For Nvidia, the immediate task is finding stable leadership. For Huang, the harder work may be rebuilding trust with his family and those affected by his actions.

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