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Former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Told Executive He Hoped He Would Die, Source Says

Sources familiar with Nvidia's internal affairs say former CEO Jensen Huang berated senior executives, told one he hoped he would die, and threw a water bottle at another. The accounts emerged after Huang resigned over revelations about extramarital relationships.

By matthew jonathan

November 15, 20262 min read

Former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Told Executive He Hoped He Would Die, Source Says

Former Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, 63, told a senior executive "I hope you die and put us all out of our misery" during a closed-door meeting in February, according to a source familiar with the incident. The remark is among several reported outbursts that have surfaced since Huang resigned following revelations about his extramarital relationships.

The accounts clash with the public image Huang built: the black leather jacket, the stories of humble beginnings, the insistence that Nvidia's success belonged to its employees.

The February meeting

Sources familiar with Nvidia's internal affairs said Huang attacked Jay Puri, then the company's executive vice president of worldwide field operations. More than 30 senior executives attended. "I hope you get the flu and I hope it gets worse," Huang reportedly told Puri, before adding the remark about dying.

Puri oversaw sales and business development. He reportedly stayed silent and has since moved into a senior adviser role at Nvidia. The reason for the outburst was not immediately clear.

One source said Huang's habit of shouting at staff was well known, but the comments to Puri left people in the room shocked.

Other incidents

The sources described a pattern. During a three-hour meeting in 2025, Huang reportedly lashed out at a senior sales executive in front of around 40 employees.

In another case, he reportedly confronted a senior executive attending a meeting with him for the first time. "Are you smirking at me? I see nothing but dead faces ... Get out!" he shouted, according to the sources.

They also said Huang threw a water bottle at a senior executive during a meeting at Nvidia's headquarters in Santa Clara, California.

In August, Huang reportedly interrupted Colette Kress, Nvidia's chief financial officer, during a presentation and called her "a deer in the headlights". Kress has taken over as interim CEO following his resignation.

A flat reporting structure

The sources linked the behavior partly to an unusual corporate structure. More than 60 senior executives reported directly to Huang.

One source said his outbursts were so familiar inside the company that employees were surprised details had not emerged earlier.

Stephen Witt, author of The Thinking Machine, a biography of Huang, has also described the former CEO's difficult management style in an article for The New York Times. Witt wrote that Huang often presented himself as a humble leader who praised employees and spoke about his early working life.