Nvidia's CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang, has resigned as President, CEO, and member of the board, effective immediately. That is the message which has just been posted on the Nvidia newsroom.
He has been at the centre of a big ol' scandal since last week, which threatened his position at the head of one of the biggest companies in the world. It started with a report over his relationship with a suspected Chinese intelligence asset, which moved into him emailing his entire workforce to say sorry that he's had an affair (though didn't name the person), an invite to talk to national security and foreign affairs officials in US Congress next week, and now reports of potentially a second affair, this time with an Nvidia employee, have come to light.
This is what sparked the emergency board meeting last night which has culminated in his resignation from all sectors of the company.
Nvidia CFO, Colette Kress has taken over as interim CEO, while the company searches for a permanent replacement for Jen-Hsun, with Harvey C. Jones appointed the virst ever chair of Nvidia's board of directors.
"Colette Kress, current Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Nvidia, has agreed to serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer," reads the statement on the Nvidia newsroom. "Kress will continue to serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer while serving as Interim Chief Executive Officer until a permanent successor has been named. The Board is initiating a search for a permanent Chief Executive Officer and will consider internal and external candidates."
“Nvidia’s strength has always come from its people, and together with our leadership team, I am committed to building on the extraordinary foundation Jensen created over the last 33 years,” said Colette Kress, Interim CEO and CFO, Nvidia. “We will continue advancing the work that has made NVIDIA a leader in accelerated computing and AI, and execute on the opportunities ahead. Our focus remains on serving our customers, partners, developers and shareholders.”
There has so far been no statement from Jen-Hsun himself on the matter, but the statement thanks him for his service...
"Jensen’s contributions to NVIDIA are profound. NVIDIA is one of the most consequential technology companies in the world. The Board and the company thank Jensen for his immeasurable contributions to the company and the industry."
