Nvidia Employees Urge Board to Bring Back Departed Chief Jensen Huang
Some employees of US chipmaker Nvidia are calling on the board to reinstate founder Jensen Huang, even after he resigned following reports of extramarital affairs. An internal discussion post has drawn more than 1,600 comments.
Some employees at US chipmaker Nvidia are demanding that the company's board bring back Jensen Huang, who resigned as chief executive this week after reports of multiple extramarital affairs. That is according to internal correspondence reviewed by WIRED. The leadership crisis matters because it affects one of the world's most valuable technology companies.
Employee support
Before Huang stepped down, a longtime engineer posted in Nvidia's internal suggestion box, urging the board to weigh employee sentiment before acting. The post has since gathered more than 1,600 comments, and several ask board members to find a way to return Huang. One anonymous commenter wrote that those who believe in the mission should bring back the boss, while another said people make mistakes and Huang deserves a second chance.
One employee sent a companywide email demanding transparency about the reasons for Huang's exit. According to WIRED, about two dozen employees posted support for Huang on LinkedIn in the hours after his resignation, while the outlet could not find any posts by Nvidia staff backing the decision.
What happened
Huang, 63, had led Nvidia since its founding in 1993. In an email to employees on Sunday, he said he had been unfaithful to his wife and that there was no excuse. That followed reports of an affair with a suspected Chinese intelligence asset. The board announced his resignation on Thursday morning, after reports of an alleged second affair with a direct report. Reuters later reported on an alleged affair with another employee.
The board consists largely of early Nvidia investors and Huang's longtime confidants. It named chief financial officer Colette Kress interim CEO and appointed Harvey Jones, an investor and former chief executive of software firm Synopsys, as chair.
According to the source, the crisis has cost the company $1 trillion in market value, prompted investigations by US lawmakers and the FBI, and raised the prospect of new chip export controls. Many employees had expected a board investigation to conclude before any major changes, but Huang left just as the inquiry began.
