Nvidia Names Colette Kress Interim CEO After Jensen Huang Steps Down

Jensen Huang is no longer the chief executive officer of Nvidia.

The company's board of directors announced the leadership change on Thursday, naming Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as the interim leader. Huang's departure follows public reports regarding his personal relationships, specifically allegations involving a business client and an internal executive.

In an email sent to staff, Huang acknowledged the affair with his wife and stated he would cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation. The board launched the review after U.S. intelligence officials concluded that one of Huang's partners had been recruited by China's top spy agency. A second affair with an Nvidia executive became public knowledge on Wednesday, a development that caused the company's stock price to drop sharply.

Kress steps into the role during a period of intense focus on the artificial intelligence sector. She is known to investors and business partners for her long-standing presence at the company. Analysts note that she must manage the immediate reaction to the scandal while maintaining the long-term strategy for a firm that produces the most widely used chips in the AI market. One open question for shareholders is how much autonomy the board will grant Kress in making strategic decisions during this transition.

The scandal has also drawn scrutiny from Washington. Lawmakers from both parties are questioning Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the timeline of his awareness regarding Huang's contact with a suspected Chinese asset. The core issue for the administration is whether the United States should have imposed stricter restrictions on chip exports given the connection. White House officials, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have been traveling this week to negotiate a security framework with Russia and Europe, but the Nvidia story has added a layer of complexity to the administration's handling of technology policy.

Huang had close ties to President Trump and was viewed as a central figure in the U.S. business landscape. His resignation marks a shift in the leadership structure of a company that remains a key driver of the technology economy. The board has not yet announced a timeline for finding a permanent replacement for Huang.