Nvidia boss resigns: end of an affair

Long-time Nvidia boss Jensen Huang resigned after affairs. CFO Colette Kress will take over the position on an interim basis, as the chip company announced. In the meantime, a permanent position should be sought internally and externally. Huang, 63, became a figurehead of the AI ​​boom and led Nvidia to record numbers.

Huang admitted over the weekend that he had cheated on his wife. Media reports had previously spoken of a close relationship with a woman who was suspected by US security circles of having been recruited by Chinese intelligence. Reports of another affair followed in the middle of the week, this time with a top Nvidia manager. When it comes to relationships between bosses and managers subordinate to them, US boards of directors usually take tough action.

The chips from Nvidia, one of the most valuable companies in the world, dominate in data centers when it comes to training and operating artificial intelligence. Huang has distinguished himself as the face of AI change: at Nvidia conferences and other public appearances, he tirelessly preaches the world-changing role of artificial intelligence in all areas of life. (dpa)

There have been recurring differences between Huang and the US government over restrictions on the supply of advanced AI chips to China. The Nvidia boss argues that bans damage Nvidia's dominance and thus also the US's pioneering role because they would accelerate the development of China's own technology. The US government, on the other hand, has been trying for years to slow down Chinese progress in artificial intelligence by blocking deliveries of high-performance chips from Nvidia, among others.

A crisis at Nvidia could also have much wider implications: the company from Santa Clara in Silicon Valley invests some of its billions in profits to support AI start-ups, which in turn use them to buy the company's chips. Huang has also developed a close relationship with US President Donald Trump in recent years.

Huang recently had the red carpet rolled out at the federal government's innovation summit. The federal government agreed to work with Nvidia.

In the case of the affair with a possible Chinese spy, Nvidia - and Huang herself - initially spoke of normal contacts with the manager of a customer company. Only after the Financial Times reported on a romantic relationship did the Nvidia boss admit the affair.

The Nvidia board of directors then launched an investigation. Initially it was said that the committee continued to have confidence in Huang and his management team.