Jensen Huang resigns as the president and CEO of NVIDIA, ending his 33-year run at the chipmaker he co-founded. NVIDIA announced the leadership change on November 12, 2026, confirming that CFO Colette Kress will take over as interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent successor.
Huang has also stepped down as a member of NVIDIA’s board, effective immediately. The company appointed Harvey C. Jones as its first-ever board chair. Jones previously served as CEO and executive chairman of Synopsys and has more than 30 years of experience in technology and venture investing.
Jensen Huang’s NVIDIA CEO Resignation Comes Amid Controversy
Huang’s departure follows a period of scrutiny surrounding reports of two extramarital relationships, including one involving a businesswoman reportedly suspected by US intelligence officials of having ties to Chinese intelligence. Huang previously acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife in a message to NVIDIA employees.
The controversy also raised questions about possible national security concerns and NVIDIA’s business relationships in Asia. The company’s board had launched an independent investigation on November 8, saying it had no reason to believe that NVIDIA secrets or national security had been compromised. Reuters also reported that the board had been considering Huang’s future before the resignation announcement.
Huang co-founded NVIDIA in 1993 and led its transformation from a graphics chipmaker into one of the world’s most important companies in AI and accelerated computing. The company became central to the AI boom following the growing demand for its GPUs after the launch of ChatGPT in 2022.
Colette Kress Takes over as Interim NVIDIA CEO
Colette Kress will continue serving as NVIDIA’s executive vice president and CFO while taking on the interim CEO role. She joined the company in September 2013 and has led its finance organization through a period of major growth.
Before joining NVIDIA, Kress spent nearly 25 years in finance positions at technology companies, including Cisco and Microsoft. The board said it has confidence in Kress and the existing leadership team, adding that the company’s operations, customer commitments, and product roadmap will continue without interruption.
NVIDIA will consider both internal and external candidates as it searches for a permanent CEO.
The company is still scheduled to report its third-quarter fiscal 2027 financial results on November 17, followed by an earnings call. NVIDIA says its leadership transition will not interrupt its operations or product roadmap.
