Nvidia CFO Colette Kress pushed back on Jensen Huang’s riskiest AI bets

For most of Nvidia's AI boom, Jensen Huang has been the face of the company, while Colette Kress has been the person checking the receipts. According to research findings, she spent much of that time pushing back on some of Huang's most aggressive and risky AI investments.

The $130 billion haircut

The clearest example of Kress's influence involves a data center project in Ohio backed by OpenAI. Nvidia's financial commitment to the project initially stood at $250 billion. Under Kress's watch, that figure was scaled back to $120 billion before the deal was finalized on August 17, 2026.

That is a reduction of more than half. Few executives can say they talked their boss out of $130 billion, and fewer still keep their jobs afterward.

Friction at the top

The disagreements were not purely technical spreadsheet debates. The research describes reported tensions between Kress and Huang, including moments where Huang publicly undermined her approach.

Clashes over multibillion-dollar deals were also reported, pointing to a real split in philosophy. Huang reportedly favored speed and scale, while Kress reportedly favored limits and structure.

What this means for Nvidia

Kress joined Nvidia in 2013 after holding roles at Texas Instruments, Microsoft, and Cisco. Since her arrival, Nvidia's annual revenue grew from approximately $4.13 billion in 2013 to $215.9 billion in fiscal 2026.

Kress is set to address investors on the upcoming earnings call, where she will likely face questions about existing commitments, the Ohio deal, and whether the company's financing strategy is about to change.

Partners like OpenAI have reason to watch closely. The Ohio deal shows Kress is willing to renegotiate commitments that look oversized. Any company counting on Nvidia's balance sheet to help fund its own buildout may find the terms less generous going forward.