Nvidia Employees Demand Jensen Huang's Return As CEO Hours After Resignation Amid Affair Allegations

Some Nvidia employees are pressing the board to bring back Jensen Huang, just hours after the co-founder resigned as chief executive amid reports of several extramarital affairs, one with an alleged Chinese spy.

Internal post draws 1,600 comments

Wired reported that a longtime Nvidia engineer submitted a post to the company's internal 'suggestion box' before Huang's resignation, urging the board to weigh employee sentiment before taking any action. The post has since drawn more than 1,600 comments, most of them in full support of reinstating Huang, the magazine said.

The post also asked the board to share the findings of its inquiry with staff and to formally ask employees how they felt about Huang continuing as CEO. Several commenters asked directors to find a way to reverse the decision, and some argued that Huang deserves a second chance after what they described as a human mistake.

Companywide email demands transparency

One employee went further, sending a companywide email that demanded clarity on the circumstances of Huang's exit, Wired reported. The staffer wrote that backing Huang did not mean belianyone is infallible, and framedd cast it as a stand for fairness toward a leader who has meant a great deal to the company.

Staff say they were caught off guard

Many employees had expected a board investigation to finish before any major change. Instead, Huang left just as the inquiry had begun, and staff are trying to understand why.

Business has continued as usual inside Nvidia this week, but Huang's departure left many stunned. About two dozen employees posted on LinkedIn in his support in the hours after the announcement. WIRED said it could not find any Nvidia employee posts backing the resignation.

A current employee of a couple of years, who was not authorised to speak publicly, told WIRED the wish for his return is widespread. The employee said they fear the company will suffer without its founder, and argued the board must bring him back.

What led to the resignation

Huang, 63, had led Nvidia since he co-founded it in 1993. In an email to staff on Sunday, he said he had been unfaithful to his wife and that there was no excuse, WIRED reported. That followed reports of an affair with a suspected Chinese intelligence asset.

The board announced his resignation on Thursday morning, after reports of an alleged second affair with a direct report.

Board, market and regulatory fallout

Nvidia has named Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress interim CEO and appointed former Synopsys chief Harvey Jones as board chair. The board is largely made up of early Nvidia investors and Huang's longtime confidants.

The crisis has cost the company about $1 trillion in market value since the allegations surfaced. It has also prompted investigations by US lawmakers and the FBI, and raised the prospect of new export controls on chips.