The final moments of Jensen Huang's resignation: he called himself "just a jerk," and the board made a decision overnight

Author: Drake Bennett, Ian King, Bloomberg

Compiled by: Deep Tide TechFlow

Deep Tide Guide: After weeks of battling extramarital affair and leak allegations, Jensen Huang, who has led NVIDIA for over thirty years, unconditionally resigned late Wednesday night. The tech giant founder, who single-handedly shaped the global AI boom, appeared exhausted and drained under the multiple pressures from the board and investigations.

Initially accused of having improper associations with a suspected spy, and later revealed to have had an extramarital relationship with a senior executive, this scandal caused Huang to fall from grace at an astonishing speed. With interim CEO Colette Kress taking office, NVIDIA not only faces a power restructuring but will also undergo rigorous questioning from Congress.

In the final moments, Huang appeared drained and mentally broken, his once legendary vigor completely exhausted. After weeks of denying the infidelity allegations and struggling to retain his position as CEO of NVIDIA, he chose to unconditionally step down late Wednesday night.

According to an insider, Huang's previous commanding presence and decisiveness had long vanished; he even began frequently uttering phrases like "I don't care" and "whatever."

During his decades of building NVIDIA into a trillion-dollar AI chip giant, Huang was known for his extreme attention to minute details, from the underlying chip architecture to the compensation plans for the company's lowest-level employees, he was almost hands-on with everything. However, those present at the scene felt he had completely given up the fight.

According to individuals who recently spoke with Huang, he has fallen into deep regret, even berating himself as "just a jerk."

For this billionaire tech titan, the fall came remarkably swift. Just two weeks ago, he was still a globally recognized symbol of AI. With his straightforward style and vibrant energy, he had earned praise from U.S. President Donald Trump, deeply involved in shaping global tech policy, and garnered fervent adoration during his global tours akin to a papal visit.

It is hard to imagine whether the current AI boom would have occurred without Huang, NVIDIA, and its chips; equally difficult to envision what the entire AI industry's landscape will look like after his quiet exit.

As NVIDIA's board chairman Harvey Jones wrote in an email to employees after Huang's departure: "Jensen Huang's contributions to NVIDIA are profound and exceptional. NVIDIA is also one of the most influential tech companies in the world today."

Huang has not been reachable for comment.

The AI Future Without Jensen Huang

In late October, when news first broke about Huang's close association with a woman suspected of espionage, outsiders initially believed he could weather the storm. The NVIDIA board members mainly consisted of Huang's long-time investors, business partners, and friends, who were unwilling to take action regarding media reports and even refused to comment publicly.

At that time, most news reports were very cautious in describing the specific relationship between the CEO and the suspect, Alice Huang. Huang firmly denied any infidelity to friends and colleagues. In fact, he had been denying this since being questioned internally at the company in late 2025.

In his last few interviews as CEO with Bloomberg, Huang insisted that his interactions with Alice Huang were merely typical business relations with Chinese clients and executives. He stated at the time, "Everything is completely normal, nothing unusual."

Image: NVIDIA headquarters located in Santa Clara, California

The turning point came last Friday (November 6). The Financial Times cited U.S. officials revealing that the two were indeed in an extramarital affair. Shortly after the report was published, NVIDIA's general counsel Tim Teter confronted Huang at his home, and Huang subsequently admitted the truth.

Even at that stage, most board members were still unwilling to publicly state their positions, but Teter, as board secretary, bluntly stated that they had to take action. The board then announced it would investigate the allegations and hired the prominent law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to lead the inquiry.

On Sunday, Huang sent an internal email to the entire company, publicly admitting to the affair, apologizing to his family, and promising to "fully cooperate" with the board's investigation.

What Huang's Exit Means for NVIDIA

As the scandal continued to escalate, various signs indicated that Huang's focus was inevitably being diverted, making it difficult for him to concentrate on managing the company's complex daily operations.

Under NVIDIA's unique organizational structure, about 60 executives reported directly to Huang, which, by conventional management standards, is almost equivalent to a small army. All employees were required to regularly submit their five most important priorities via email, which Huang used to ensure everyone was advancing what he deemed the most critical work.

In the past, Huang would almost instantaneously reply to these emails day or night. However, in recent days, his response times had noticeably lengthened.

By Wednesday, The New York Times broke another bombshell, stating that Huang was also having an affair with Kimberly Powell, NVIDIA's vice president responsible for healthcare. This time, the board's response was extremely swift.

Board members held an emergency remote meeting on Wednesday that lasted into the night. Ultimately, Huang had no choice but to resign, completely losing all formal positions in the company he co-founded.

The following morning, the board officially announced that CFO Colette Kress would serve as interim CEO. Kress quickly reassured the anxious internal staff.

Internal emails reviewed by Bloomberg showed Kress wrote in her message: "I have great confidence in this company and its future. Most importantly, I believe in each of you, in our customers and partners, and in the critical role we play in the global economy every day."

Kress added in her email: "The board, the entire management team, and I are fully aware that this is an extremely difficult time, and I sincerely appreciate the resilience, professionalism, and unwavering dedication you have all shown."

Kress promised to hold a company-wide meeting on November 18. The day before, NVIDIA is set to announce its latest financial results, with Wall Street analysts generally predicting that the quarterly sales growth will nearly double year-on-year.

Currently, the board must face the daunting challenge of finding Huang's successor. Candidates believed to be in the running include Lisa Su, CEO of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and Rene Haas, CEO of Arm Holdings.

However, in reality, it is hard to imagine anyone fully filling the roles Huang left behind: he was not only a technical expert but also a chief manager, top salesperson, policy lobbyist, and the spiritual totem of NVIDIA. Moreover, NVIDIA has never seriously formulated a traditional succession plan. Regardless of the outcome, NVIDIA will begin to transition into a conventional company and operate in a more standardized manner.

For Huang personally, even if he has thoughts of stepping back, he is destined not to easily fade from public view. In the coming weeks, he is expected to testify before Congress, where lawmakers will rigorously question him about his deep relationship with Alice Huang and whether this entanglement could jeopardize the core secrets of NVIDIA's top chips.

According to individuals who recently spoke with Huang, he claims he currently does not care about his personal outcome. He stated that his main concern is for his wife and is striving to avoid "ruining the lives of multiple women," who are now thrust into the spotlight under public scrutiny.