Two weeks ago, Jensen Huang was the global face of the AI boom. By late Wednesday night, after weeks of denying allegations of extramarital affairs and fighting to keep his job, he had given up. People who spoke to the Nvidia co-founder during his final hours as chief executive describe a man who had lost his usual energy and turned his anger on himself.
Huang was famous for his sharp, take-charge style. He followed every detail at Nvidia, from chip design to the pay of junior staff. Near the end, that had disappeared, according to a person familiar with the situation cited by Bloomberg.
Huang kept saying things like “whatever” and “I don’t care,” the person said. To those in the room, it looked like he had stopped fighting.
People who spoke with Huang in recent days told Bloomberg that he had become remorseful and had called himself a “piece of s—.”
According to the report, Huang said he no longer cared what happened to him. His main worries were his wife, and not wanting to damage the lives of the women publicly linked to him. Bloomberg was unable to reach Huang for comment.
“I Don’t Think You Should Be Talking To Me Directly”
A day before he stepped down, the New York Times called Huang about its report of a second affair with an Nvidia executive. His only response before hanging up was: “I don’t think you should be talking to me directly.”
In a message to employees, Huang admitted he had been unfaithful to his wife and apologised to his family, colleagues and shareholders.
President Donald Trump called Huang on Tuesday and urged him to fight to keep his job, the New York Times reported, citing two people briefed on the call.
Huang resigned anyway. Hours later, Trump told radio host Stephen A. Smith that Huang had called him to express regret.
“I spoke to him yesterday. He’s going through hell,” Trump said. “What he feels most badly about is his wife and family. That’s what he told me. He called me.”
Asked whether Huang should have stepped down, Trump said the real question was whether the woman linked to him was a spy. He still predicted a comeback: “Somehow he’ll end up on his feet.”
Earlier in the week, Trump had publicly called Huang an honourable man. He said he believed Huang did not know about the woman’s alleged links to Chinese intelligence. China has denied the spying claims.
Huang may struggle to stay out of public view. He is expected to testify before Congress in the coming weeks. Lawmakers plan to ask about his relationship with the woman US intelligence reportedly suspected of being a Chinese operative, and whether it put secrets about Nvidia’s most advanced chips at risk.
Nvidia has named Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO while it searches for a permanent replacement, and Harvey Jones has become its first board chair. “Jensen’s contributions to Nvidia are profound,” Jones wrote in a message to staff.
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