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Nvidia prepares to oust embattled CEO after affairs

Chipmaker Nvidia is preparing to oust CEO Jensen Huang, whose extramarital affairs may have exposed an intelligence leak.

Reuters

Jensen Huang
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's future hangs in the balance. Photo: AAP
  • Chipmaker Nvidia is preparing to oust CEO Jensen Huang, whose extramarital affairs may have exposed an intelligence leak.
  • Nvidia’s board is meeting to determine his future following reports he had engaged with a woman suspected to be a Chinese spy.
  • Huang has acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife.

Nvidia’s board is preparing to oust CEO Jensen Huang after he had two extramarital affairs, including ‌one with a suspected Chinese spy, the Wall Street Journal is reporting.

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The board is preparing to meet as ‌soon as Wednesday to determine his future, the report said.

Earlier in the day, the New York Times reported Huang had an extramarital affair with a company executive who reported to him.

The relationship was with Kimberly Powell, ‌Nvidia’s vice president ‌of healthcare, ⁠the New York Times said, citing five people who ​worked at the company.

jensen huang
Under Jensen Huang’s leadership Nvidia has become one of the world’s most valuable companies. Photo: Imaginechina/Sipa USA

Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters could not immediately verify the reports.

The reports on Wednesday come days after Huang acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife, as Nvidia’s board ⁠investigates whether he was targeted by a ‌foreign ​intelligence operation.

The latest revelation escalates a controversy that has drawn scrutiny from ​mps, investors and ‌Nvidia’s board over Huang’s conduct and his relationship with Alice Huang, ​a woman who US intelligence has said has facilitated shipments of Nvidia chips to Chinese firms.

Nvidia’s shares were down about eight per cent in ​after-hours ​trading. The stock has lost ​more than $US300 billion ($A438 billion) in market value ‌since news of the affair with Alice Huang broke.

Huang’s potential exit would create a leadership vacuum at the $US4 trillion ($A5.8 trillion) company that has become a focal point in the US-China race for AI supremacy with its dominance ​in chips used to train models and power services such as ​OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

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-AAP

Topics: AI, Business

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