In a week when a chipmaker's fortunes seem to rest as much on private conduct as on silicon, Nvidia's co-founder Jensen Huang finds himself at the center of a boardroom reckoning. Reports that the company's directors may remove him over extramarital affairs, one reportedly tied to a suspected Chinese spy, have drawn public support from two of the most powerful figures in technology and politics. The episode lands on a company now valued near $4 trillion, where the question of who leads the machinery of artificial intelligence has become a question of national and corporate trust.
Musk Says He'd 'Be Honoured' to Hire Jensen Huang as Nvidia Board Weighs His Removal
A $4 trillion chipmaker, and reportedly no formal succession plan
Mark
Why did a one-line reply from Musk get so much attention?
Mimi
Because of the timing and the relationship. It came a day after the Journal reported the board was preparing to remove Huang, and Nvidia chips are central to Musk's AI plans at Tesla and elsewhere.
Mark
So it's more than a friendly gesture?
Mimi
It's at least a public show of support from a major customer. Trump has reportedly defended Huang too, calling him honourable and saying he has done a great job for the country.
Luke
Let's be careful about what's actually established. Musk's reply is on the record. The board's plan to remove Huang is the Journal's reporting from unnamed sources, and Nvidia hasn't confirmed it.
Mark
What has Huang himself said?
Mimi
In a Sunday memo to employees he acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife and took full responsibility, with no details.
Luke
Right, and that's the extent of the confirmed part. The second affair, the woman suspected of being a Chinese spy, and the executive relationship all come from press reports citing sources. The board's investigation into foreign targeting is reported, but no findings are public.
Mark
And the market?
Mimi
Reuters says shares fell about 8% after hours. The company is valued around $4 trillion, so that's a large move.
Luke
Worth adding that it's unclear whether the board has decided anything. The meeting was reported as possible as early as Wednesday, and the outcome is unknown.
Mark
What's the stake if he does go?
Mimi
There's reportedly no formal succession plan, so a very large company would be looking for a leader in the middle of an investigation.
O Pulso
- A Wall Street Journal report that Nvidia's board is preparing to oust CEO Jensen Huang has jolted investors and sent shares down about 8% after hours.
- Huang's own memo to employees admitting unfaithfulness, without details, has turned a private failing into a public crisis at a roughly $4 trillion company.
- A board investigation into whether a suspected Chinese spy targeted Huang raises the stakes beyond corporate governance into national security.
- Elon Musk's offer to hire Huang and Donald Trump's defense of him have shifted the story from boardroom procedure to a contest of loyalty, with no confirmed decision and no succession plan in place.
In a week when a chipmaker's fortunes seem to rest as much on private conduct as on silicon, Nvidia's co-founder Jensen Huang finds himself at the center of a boardroom reckoning. Reports that the company's directors may remove him over extramarital affairs, one reportedly tied to a suspected Chinese spy, have drawn public support from two of the most powerful figures in technology and politics. The episode lands on a company now valued near $4 trillion, where the question of who leads the machinery of artificial intelligence has become a question of national and corporate trust.
On Thursday, a short plea posted on X by a financial blog asked Elon Musk to hire Jensen Huang. Musk replied in four words: "That would be an honor." The exchange spread across the internet within hours, and it followed a report from the Wall Street Journal that Nvidia's board was preparing to remove its chief executive.
The Journal's sources tie the possible move to two extramarital affairs, one reportedly with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy. The directors were said to be meeting as early as Wednesday, but no decision has been confirmed, and Nvidia has not publicly acknowledged any plan. The matter first surfaced in a memo to staff, in which Huang admitted being unfaithful to his wife and said he took "full responsibility" without giving specifics. The board then opened an investigation into whether he had been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. Nvidia shares fell about 8% after hours.
Huang has not been left alone. Musk and President Trump have both reportedly defended him while the inquiry continues, and the ties run deeper than public sympathy. The two men travelled together with Trump to Beijing in May, and Nvidia supplies the AI chips that power Musk's companies.
Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and turned it into the dominant supplier of artificial intelligence processors. Given its scale, his departure would leave a serious leadership gap with no formal succession plan in place. What comes next depends on whether the board decides, whether Nvidia confirms or denies the reports, and what the investigation finds.
On Thursday, a financial blog called ZeroHedge posted a short plea on X: "Elon please hire Jensen." Elon Musk answered in four words: "That would be an honor." The exchange drew close to a million views within hours, and it landed one day after the Wall Street Journal reported that Nvidia's board was preparing to remove its chief executive, Jensen Huang.
The Journal's account, which rests on people familiar with the matter, ties the move to two extramarital affairs. One of them was reportedly with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy. The directors were said to be meeting as early as Wednesday. It was not immediately clear whether they had reached a decision, and Nvidia has not publicly confirmed any plan to remove Huang.
The matter first surfaced in a memo to employees on Sunday. In it, Huang acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife and said he took "full responsibility," without giving details. The board then opened an investigation into whether he had been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. Separately, the New York Times reported that Huang also had a relationship with a company executive. According to Reuters, Nvidia shares fell about 8% in after-hours trading.
Musk is not the only prominent figure to side with Huang. Both he and President Donald Trump have reportedly come to Huang's defence while the board investigates. Trump has described Huang as an honourable man who has done a great job for the country.
The ties between these men are practical as well as personal. In May, Huang and Musk both travelled with Trump on Air Force One to Beijing for talks with China's leader. Nvidia is also a key supplier to Musk's companies. Fortune reported in 2024 that Musk was a voracious buyer of Nvidia's AI training chips, and that Tesla more than doubled its computing capacity in a single quarter. Those chips are central to the AI ambitions of Tesla and Musk's other ventures.
Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and built it from a maker of gaming graphics chips into the dominant supplier of processors for artificial intelligence. The company is now valued at roughly $4 trillion.
That scale is what makes the board's deliberations so consequential. Huang's departure would leave a major leadership vacuum, and no formal succession plan is reportedly in place. What to watch next is whether the board reaches a decision, whether Nvidia confirms or denies the reporting, and what the investigation into possible foreign targeting finds.
Citações Notáveis
That would be an honor.— Elon Musk, replying on X to a ZeroHedge post
Huang took "full responsibility" for being unfaithful to his wife, without providing details.— Jensen Huang, in a Sunday memo to Nvidia employees
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