Here's how Jensen Huang's abrupt resignation unfolded at Nvidia
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned abruptly following revelations of an extramarital affair with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy, according to the company's board.
Jensen Huang's departure from Nvidia caps a tumultuous week for the chipmaker, with his resignation coming less than a week after his extramarital relationship with a suspected Chinese spy became public. The Nvidia board announced Huang's immediate resignation on November 12, 2026, following an internal investigation.
The seeds for Huang's downfall were planted much earlier. The woman with whom he had a relationship, Alice Huang (no relation), arrived on the tech scene in 2023 when she became managing director of Singapore-based data center Megaspeed International. Over the past two years, Alice Huang has been photographed and recorded socializing with Jensen Huang, prompting questions from investors about their "uncomfortably close relationship."
Timeline of events
Alice Huang, a former television reporter in China, joined investment firm Shanghai Hexi Investment Management in November 2015. In March 2023, she became managing director of Megaspeed International after it was renamed from 7Road International. By the end of 2024, Megaspeed's assets exploded from $33 million to $3 billion, with records showing it imported about $4 billion in products with Nvidia chips.
The relationship between Jensen Huang and Alice Huang became public knowledge in June 2024 when a tech firm posted a picture of them together at a bar in Taipei. In May 2025, they were recorded dining together in Taipei during the Computex tech conference. That same month, Nvidia became the first public company to be worth $4 trillion.
It's so innovative and dynamic here in China that it's really important that American companies are able to compete and serve the market here in China.
Security concerns
In February 2026, Chinese police detained Alice Huang's husband, Kang Wei, in connection with suspected stock manipulation. That same month, Singapore barred Alice Huang from re-entering the country after she downplayed her role at Megaspeed amid an investigation into its operations.
The situation escalated in May 2026 when Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed President Trump about the counterintelligence risk posed by Jensen Huang's affair with Alice Huang. On November 8, 2026, Jensen Huang admitted to having an extramarital affair in a message to Nvidia employees, and the board announced an independent investigation amid reports of a "foreign intelligence effort."
The New York Times reported that U.S. government surveillance suggested Alice Huang was feeding information directly to Beijing. At a White House press conference, President Trump said he had spoken to Huang and described him as an "honorable man" who's "definitely suffering."
Aftermath
The scandal continued to unfold with reports that Jensen Huang had also had an affair with Kimberly Powell, a subordinate at Nvidia. On November 12, 2026, Nvidia's board of directors announced Huang's resignation, effective immediately, without providing further details about the succession plan.
Megaspeed International stated on Thursday that it has complied with U.S. laws, though the company's rapid growth and business relationship with Nvidia remain under scrutiny. The resignation of one of tech's most prominent CEOs comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and China over technology and national security.
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