Nvidia boss Huang will probably lose his job because of affairs

US media reports Things are getting tight for the Nvidia boss As of: November 12th, 2026 • 10:38 a.m

First an affair with a suspected Chinese spy - and then also with an employee who reported to him: Now Nvidia boss Huang is apparently to be removed from his position. The scandal has already cost the chip giant trillions of dollars.

The board of directors of chip developer Nvidia is discussing the replacement of its CEO Jensen Huang. This is reported by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, among others, citing informed people. The background to this is probably the manager's two extramarital affairs, including one with a suspected Chinese spy. Nvidia did not initially respond to a request for comment on the board meeting.

According to the New York Times, Huang is said to have had another extramarital affair - with a manager who reported directly to him. The media company relies on five employees of the group.

The US chip company Nvidia is investigating its co-founder and boss Jensen Huang. That's what it's about. more

CFO Colette Kress has been named as a possible successor. Armina Rosenberg, portfolio manager and co-founder of Nvidia-invested company Minotaur Capital, said Kress, who has been chief financial officer for more than a decade, would be the natural choice as interim chief. The bigger question, however, is who will lead Nvidia's technological direction in the long term.

However, Huang is not easy to replace: He has been the chip company's boss since it was founded more than 30 years ago and is considered the driving force behind the company's rise. The management structure is exceptionally tailored to him. According to the media, around 60 managers report directly to him. This means he is more involved in day-to-day business than other bosses of large corporations and is therefore less easy to replace.

Nvidia founder and boss Jensen Huang is said to have had an affair with a suspected Chinese spy. more

The Board of Directors' discussions on the replacement mark a sharp turnaround. At the weekend, the committee expressed its confidence in Huang and his management team.

Huang admitted in a message to employees on Sunday that he had been unfaithful to his wife and took "full responsibility," but did not provide any details about the relationship. According to Nvidia's statutes, the CEO can be removed by a majority vote of the directors "with or without cause."

Economy eight ago from November 11th, 2026 Anja Kohl, HR, Das Erste, November 11th, 2026 • 7:55 p.m. Losses of trillions on the stock market Concern about the possible consequences of the Huang affair has already caused the chip manufacturer to lose trillions. Since reaching a record high of just over $240 at the beginning of October, shares have already fallen by almost 30 percent. Since then, the market value has fallen from almost six trillion dollars to just around 4.2 trillion dollars. However, Nvidia is still one of the most valuable companies in the world.

And the downward slide continues: Shortly after midnight, the price of the semiconductor manufacturer's shares fell by up to nine percent to $ 158, the lowest level since mid-2025.

The alleged espionage affair involving Nvidia boss Huang is hitting the chip manufacturer and the entire AI industry at an extremely inopportune time. more

The management turmoil occurs a few days before the quarterly figures due on November 17th, when the company is supposed to inform investors about its financial development and outlook. “The market is starting to price Nvidia without its founder as a likely outcome rather than an extreme residual risk,” Rosenberg said. Losing him “would be a real blow.”

Investors and analysts said a short-term decline in demand for Nvidia chips was unlikely. However, the broader ecosystem of Nvidia-backed companies could suffer. These are mostly customers who build data centers to use these chips.

Meanwhile, tech billionaire Elon Musk wrote on his short message service X that hiring Jensen Huang “would be an honor.”

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Nvidia's board of directors has launched an internal investigation and hired outside lawyers. But the affair with a suspected Chinese spy is also a concern for US politics. Huang faces a compulsory subpoena from the US Congress if he does not comply with a request for a closed-door briefing about the allegations about his affair.

Leading US Democrats are also targeting documents from President Donald Trump's administration on Nvidia's chip exports to China. According to a media report, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Coons have called on the government to secure all documents related to these exports and CEO Jensen Huang's affair with a suspected Chinese spy, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

"This incident raises significant concerns about the federal government's ability to effectively enforce our export controls and protect our national security," the senators said in the letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. “Questions also remain as to whether prudent defensive counterintelligence measures were taken or whether national security recommendations were ignored,” the senators wrote.

Only the closest US allies will have unrestricted access - Germany is one of them. more

The chip industry is a highly sensitive field for the USA and China: the two countries are in a race for advanced AI systems that can be used for military purposes.

The USA has restricted the export of high technology to China in order to slow down the technological and military rise of the People's Republic. Nvidia is at the center of this because the US company's chips are important for training new AI models.

This topic in the program: NDR Info | News | 11/12/2026 | 6:06 a.m