'I'm a piece of sh--': Jensen Huang's final hours before Nvidia resignation

Jensen Huang, who stepped down as Nvidia's CEO amid allegations of an extramarital affair with a woman suspected of links to Chinese intelligence, reportedly called himself "a piece of sh--" in the hours before his resignation. The executive long known for his iron grip on the company and his relentless drive appeared to give up as the board closed in, with those close to him saying his deepest concern now is his wife.

According to Bloomberg, Huang repeatedly told people around him in the lead-up to his resignation, "whatever" and "I don't care."

A person familiar with the situation told Bloomberg that Huang seemed to have lost the will to steer the company — a stark departure from his usual demeanor. Several people who spoke with him recently said he referred to himself as "a piece of sh--," expressing sharp self-reproach.

It was a striking contrast to the image he had projected over decades at the helm of Nvidia.

Huang was known as a hands-on executive who personally oversaw everything from chip design to employee compensation. He co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and built it into the dominant force in the global AI semiconductor market, driving not only technology development and business strategy but also key partnerships with major customers.

The situation unraveled rapidly after reports emerged late last month of his relationship with a woman alleged to have ties to Chinese intelligence.

Huang denied the allegations, but pressure mounted after the Financial Times reported Nov. 6, citing US government officials, that the two had been in a romantic relationship.

He subsequently acknowledged the affair in an internal company message and apologized to his family and employees. Nvidia's board launched an independent investigation to determine whether he had been targeted by a foreign intelligence service.

Huang had sought to continue running the company despite the controversy. But when The New York Times reported Wednesday on an additional extramarital relationship — with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare — the mood inside the boardroom shifted sharply.

According to Bloomberg, Nvidia's directors held a remote meeting Wednesday night to discuss Huang's future at the company. The session stretched into the early hours of Thursday, ultimately concluding that he should step down.

Nvidia officially announced Thursday that Huang had resigned immediately from his roles as president, CEO and member of the board of directors — relinquishing every formal position he held at the company he founded.

Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress will serve as interim CEO until a permanent successor is named, while continuing in her existing CFO role.

Harvey Jones, newly appointed as Nvidia's board chair, praised Huang's contributions to the company and the semiconductor industry. Interim CEO Kress also moved to steady the organization, sending employees an email emphasizing her confidence in the company's future.

Filling Huang's shoes, however, will be no easy task.

Bloomberg noted that Huang had been deeply involved across technology development, management, marketing and policy negotiations, making it difficult to find a single person to take on all of those responsibilities.

Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, and Rene Haas, CEO of Arm, have been mentioned as potential candidates for the top job.

Even with Huang gone, the fallout is expected to continue for now.

The US Congress is pursuing an investigation into whether Huang's relationship with Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang affected national security and advanced semiconductor export control policy.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast said Thursday that Huang had agreed to appear before Congress. Huang is expected to answer lawmakers' questions in a closed-door session before Thanksgiving this month.

Nvidia also faces its first major milestone under new leadership: the company is set to report its third-quarter earnings for fiscal year 2027 on Tuesday, followed by a company-wide meeting between interim CEO Kress and employees on Wednesday.

Whether the new leadership can maintain stable operations in the AI semiconductor business and keep product supply flowing to major customers despite the founder's abrupt departure has emerged as the central challenge ahead.

Bloomberg reported that Huang has been telling people he no longer cares about his own situation. Those close to him said his greatest concern is his wife, and that he hopes the women linked to him will not suffer further harm from the fallout.