Nvidia Board Investigates CEO Jensen Huang Over Affairs

Nvidia's board is investigating CEO Jensen Huang over reported personal relationships, according to media reports. The New York Times reported on November 11, 2026, that five anonymous individuals who previously worked at Nvidia said Huang had developed an affair with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's Vice President of Healthcare Business. Both Huang and Powell are married. The report said the relationship had been widely discussed within the company. When the newspaper's journalists called Huang to ask about his relationship with Powell, he replied: "I don't think you should talk to me directly about this matter." He then hung up. Nvidia declined to comment, and Powell did not immediately respond to inquiries.

Investigation and Board Actions

Nvidia's internal code of conduct stipulates that employees should avoid "situations where their conduct creates a conflict of interest," including "personal relationships." The company also stated that it would "promptly investigate reports of misconduct." Bloomberg reported on November 11, 2026, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Nvidia's board is collaborating with an external firm to identify potential successors to Huang. The board is also considering appointing an interim chief executive officer. Nvidia did not comment on this. Investor's Business Daily reported that Nvidia directors are mulling ousting CEO Jensen Huang and naming CFO Colette Kress as interim CEO, according to multiple reports Wednesday night. The board is probing Huang over his affair with an alleged Chinese spy.

Huang Le and Espionage Allegations

The investigation follows reports about Huang Le (Alice Huang), a woman involved in an affair with Huang and accused of Chinese espionage activities. Bloomberg reported on November 12, 2026, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Huang Le has returned to China and is currently residing in Beijing. Security authorities are aware of this, though it was unclear when and why she went to Beijing, and what activities she might be engaged in. Huang Le is a Chinese citizen from Hunan province. She studied for a master's degree at Hong Kong Baptist University and later obtained permanent resident status in Hong Kong. According to reports from The New York Times and The Financial Times, she served as Managing Director of Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data center company, from March to November 2023, and later claimed to be the CEO. The company was spun off from the Chinese gaming company 7th Road. It purchased a large number of Nvidia GPUs and rented computing power to Chinese enterprises such as Alibaba, which attracted US investigations into potential evasion of export controls. A CNN investigative report stated that Huang Le entered the United States ten times on a Chinese passport since 2017. Taiwan's Minister of the Interior, Liu Shih-fang, stated that the Immigration Agency has revoked Huang Le's entry and exit permit, and she cannot come to Taiwan again. Qiu Chuizheng, Chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, stated that Huang Le had records of entering Taiwan in 2024 and 2025, with 3 entries in 2024 and 5 entries in 2025, totaling 8 entries. There were no records this year. Regarding the allegations of Huang Le engaging in espionage activities, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly denied the accusations, criticizing them as "groundless and slanderous."

Market Impact

With the exposure of the second affair report, Nvidia's share price plummeted 8.6% in after-hours trading, according to the BBC. Investor's Business Daily reported that Nvidia stock sold off more than 8% late Wednesday, signaling a possible 52-week low. Many other AI stocks, including CoreWeave, lost ground as well. AMD jumped late, continuing to benefit from its rival's woes. As of late Wednesday, Nvidia's board had not issued a statement. BBC journalists contacted multiple company representatives and board members, but received no response.

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Sources

• bbc.com (in Chinese): Jensen Huang Suspected of Another Affair, Nvidia Board Expected to Remove Him as CEO - BBC News Chinese
• investors.com: Dow Jones Futures Rise, Techs Fall As Nvidia May Oust CEO Huang After CoreWave Leads Rally | Investor's Business Daily

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.