Nvidia's Jensen Huang Resigned 'Broken and Shattered' as Staff Demands Return

Jensen Huang resigned as Nvidia's chief executive after admitting to multiple extra-marital affairs, and Bloomberg reports he appeared "broken and shattered" during the board meeting where he surrendered the post. The co-founder, who built the company over 33 years, reportedly called himself "a piece of sh**" as he left. Nothing in the reporting suggests the departure changes Nvidia's product roadmap; the facts around capacity, shipments and process nodes remain unaddressed.

The collapse followed a sequence that began with a denial and ended with a confession. Rumors about Megaspeed executive Alice Huang, an alleged Chinese spy, being close to the CEO first circulated in late October. Nvidia denied impropriety at the time. "Megaspeed has been no different than many other regional cloud customers," a company spokesperson told Tom's Hardware. "Jensen's interactions with Ms. Huang are not unusual or unexpected." The denial did not survive later reports that an affair had in fact occurred.

How did the resignation unfold?

General Counsel and Board Secretary Tim Teter confronted Huang at his house when the affair reports emerged, according to the account. Huang then confessed. He released a statement admitting to and apologizing for his actions, and the board formed an independent committee to investigate. A second scandal followed: an affair with a subordinate. That, reportedly, was the last straw. The board forced the co-founder out soon after.

The company has more than 42,000 employees worldwide. Huang ran it in unusual depth, with over 60 executives reporting directly to him, and he was known to answer emails at any hour.

What do employees want?

Thousands of Nvidia staff are rallying behind the fallen chief. Internal calls for Huang's reinstatement have drawn more than 1,600 comments on the company's internal forums, according to Wired, with the majority in full support of reinstalling him.

The internal "suggestion box" carries comments such as "If you believe in the mission, bring back THE boss" and "We are all humans and can make mistakes. Jensen did so many good things and he needs a second chance." One staffer told Wired privately, "Nvidia is Nvidia because of Jensen." Another sent a company-wide email demanding transparency into the resignation. "I stand by Jensen," that employee wrote. "Not because I believe any person is infallible, but because I refuse to believe that standing for fairness must mean standing at a distance from someone whose leadership has meant so much to us." The same writer added: "If America fails the man who helped build its future, then this world does not deserve Jensen Huang."

Not all sentiment is favorable. Gamers have long criticized Huang for abandoning the consumer graphics market that sustained Nvidia before its AI rise, with graphics cards now drastically more expensive than before. His aggressive AI push and his stance on chip sales to China also drew criticism. None of this eroded his public aura. His trademark leather jacket raised nearly $1 million at a charity auction. In Taiwan, his popularity earned the term "Jensanity," and despite billionaire status he was seen eating street food and fast food, honoring his beginnings as a Denny's busboy.

What comes next?

Huang's future is unresolved. Elon Musk said it would be an honor to hire him, according to the reports. Nvidia has not stated who leads the company now, what the independent committee has concluded, or how the 60-direct-report structure will be managed — gaps worth watching. Whether employee pressure changes the board's decision remains an open question, and the internal forum count, at 1,600 comments against a 42,000-person workforce, is a narrow base from which to force a reversal.