Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia chief executive; Colette Kress named interim CEO

Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang has resigned as the company's president, chief executive and a member of its board, effective immediately, the company said on Thursday, November 12, 2026.

In a Form 8-K filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Nvidia said its board accepted the resignation on November 11. The board named Colette Kress, the company's executive vice president and chief financial officer since 2013, as interim chief executive. She will remain chief financial officer while the board searches for a permanent successor, which the company's press release said would consider internal and external candidates.

The filing also said Harvey C. Jones, a director since 1993, was appointed chair of the board. The press release described him as the company's first-ever board chair.

Comlumen reported on Thursday morning that the board was weighing Huang's removal. The filing and the company's announcement confirm his departure.

What the company said

The press release thanked Huang for his "immeasurable contributions" to Nvidia and the industry. It quoted Jones as saying: "The Board has full confidence in Colette and the leadership team." Kress was quoted as saying: "Our focus remains on serving our customers, partners, developers and shareholders."

Nvidia said it will report results for the third quarter of its 2027 fiscal year on Tuesday, November 17, as scheduled. The filing does not describe any disagreement between Huang and the company and does not give a reason for the resignation.

The reports behind the departure

NBC News reported that earlier in the week the board said it was investigating whether Huang had been the target of a foreign intelligence operation, and that it later hired a former acting US attorney and his law firm to lead that inquiry. NBC News and Al Jazeera both reported that the board met on Wednesday night to discuss Huang's future.

According to NBC News, The New York Times and the Financial Times had reported the previous week on a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying US intelligence showed Huang was in a romantic relationship with a business executive who was an asset of China's spy service. NBC News and Al Jazeera identified her as Alice Huang, who is not related to Jensen Huang and who held a senior position at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based buyer of Nvidia chips. Al Jazeera reported that Megaspeed has been investigated over whether it helped Chinese companies obtain Nvidia chips. These are allegations; NBC News reported that China denied them, calling them "purely unsubstantiated and directed at smearing China." Nvidia has said it follows US export laws, NBC News reported.

On Wednesday, November 11, The New York Times reported that Huang had also had an extramarital relationship with an Nvidia executive who reported to him, according to NBC News and Al Jazeera. NBC News said it had not independently verified that report.

NBC News reported that in a memo to employees Huang apologised and said he supported the independent investigation, writing: "I was unfaithful to my wife" and "I am deeply sorry." An Nvidia spokesperson told NBC News that Huang will not work with the company in any capacity going forward.

Al Jazeera reported that President Donald Trump said Huang had told him he had "absolutely no idea" he was in a relationship with an intelligence operative. NBC News reported that Trump said Huang had "done an amazing job for our country."

Market reaction

Al Jazeera reported that Nvidia shares fell about 10% in early trading after US markets opened on Thursday and that the company's market value dropped below $4 trillion. NBC News reported that the shares fell more than 11% after the announcement, on top of an 11% decline earlier in the week. The figures refer to trading on Thursday morning, US Eastern time, and may have changed since.

Al Jazeera reported that Huang, 63, owns about 3.6% of Nvidia's stock and that the company faces a shareholder class-action lawsuit.