Elon Musk and other tech executives have signed a petition urging Nvidia to reinstate former CEO Jensen Huang, who resigned on November 12, 2026, following reports about his relationship with an alleged Chinese intelligence asset.
By Hermes Vector
Tech executives, including Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, have signed a petition calling on Nvidia to reinstate co-founder Jensen Huang as CEO. Huang resigned as Nvidia's president, chief executive and board member with immediate effect on November 12, 2026, after leading the chipmaker for 33 years. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress was named interim CEO while the board considers its leadership options.
The petition, hosted on standwithjensen.com, states that its signers are “concerned that Jensen was removed without meaningful due process” and demands that the board “bring him back while an independent investigation establishes the facts.” It also calls on the board to ensure a fair investigation and provide more information to the public. “Jensen deserves due process, not mob justice,” the petition says.
Signature counts differ across sources. TechCrunch reported more than 115,000 signatures as of Saturday afternoon, including 5,965 current Nvidia employees, 1,108 former employees, and 63,063 shareholders. The Indian Express reported the petition had over 44,000 signatories, including over 4,400 current Nvidia employees, 776 former employees, and over 41,000 shareholders. The Federal reported more than 43,000 people had signed, listing 2,980 current Nvidia employees, 454 former employees, and 24,097 shareholders, with another 15,517 signing as supporters. The Federal noted that signers’ affiliations are self-reported and unverified, and that neither Nvidia nor Huang endorsed the campaign.
Musk said in a post on X, “A petition is underway to reinstate Jensen and I’m signing it too.” In response to a suggestion that he hire Huang, Musk replied: “That would be an honor.” Other notable supporters listed include Replit CEO Amjad Masad and Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. The Federal also listed Y Combinator’s Garry Tan, Cohere’s Aidan Gomez, and Atreides Management investor Gavin Baker as signatories.
Huang resigned several days after confessing to a relationship with a chip executive identified by U.S. intelligence as a suspected Chinese spy. News reports have also suggested that Huang engaged in multiple extramarital affairs. The Indian Express reported that Huang acknowledged in a message to Nvidia employees that he had been unfaithful to his wife and apologised to his family, colleagues and the company.
The Nvidia board has announced an independent investigation into whether Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. The company has said it had no reason to believe that sensitive information or national security material had been compromised. Nvidia has not announced any decision to reinstate Huang.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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