Business · Companies

Jensen Huang Carried Secret Into Nvidia Exit, Said ‘I Don’t Care’

Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang resigned as CEO on November 12 after admitting an affair tied to a suspected Chinese spy. A person familiar with his final hours says he had given up. Shares fell as much as 14% in a day.

By matthew jonathan

November 15, 20262 min read

Jensen Huang Carried Secret Into Nvidia Exit, Said 'I Don't Care' — Jensen Huang Carried Secret Into Nvidia Exit, Said ‘I Don’t Care’)

Jensen Huang, who co-founded Nvidia in 1993, resigned as the chipmaker's chief executive on November 12 after admitting an extramarital affair with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy. The man who carried a secret into the AI boom's biggest company has left it weeks after being one of the sector's most powerful figures.

A person familiar with the situation says Huang had given up by the end. He swapped his usual go-getter attitude for a look of defeat and began using phrases such as "whatever" and "I don't care".

People who have spoken with him in recent days say he has become more remorseful. One of them said he called himself a "piece of s—".

How the story unfolded

Reports first emerged in October that Huang had a close relationship with a woman who was allegedly providing intelligence to Beijing. The woman, named Alice Huang (no relation), was also alleged to be helping smuggle advanced AI chips to China.

On November 8, Huang told staff in a note that he had had an affair. He did not name the woman.

Nvidia then said it would investigate claims that Huang was the "target of a foreign intelligence effort". The company said it had "no reason to believe that either national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised".

On November 11, a new report alleged an affair with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare. Nvidia's code of conduct tells employees to avoid situations that create conflict, including "personal relationships".

Huang resigned the following morning. The same day, a separate report said he had an "intimate relationship" with a second Nvidia employee, who remains unnamed.

Market damage

Nvidia shares fell 14% after the market opened following the resignation, erasing roughly $546 billion in market value. The stock recovered during the session and closed down 4.3%.

On November 13, it traded at around $160, down 6.3%. The scandal has cut Nvidia's market valuation by more than $1 trillion.

Investors are now asking what Nvidia, and the wider AI boom, will look like without its co-founder.

Political fallout possible

Huang had close ties to President Donald Trump and could face political consequences over the alleged foreign interference. Lawmakers could also target the Trump administration, which has faced allegations that it ignored sales of Nvidia chips to China, where such sales are currently banned.