Nvidia Employees and Investors Pressure Board to Reinstate Jensen Huang

Nvidia employees, shareholders, and prominent tech figures are mounting a heavy push for the board of directors to reinstate co-founder and former CEO Jensen Huang. WIRED reported that Jensen Huang resigned on Thursday morning, November 12, 2026, following revelations regarding his relationships, including an email sent by Huang on Sunday stating he had been unfaithful to his wife with no excuse.

Why are employees and investors pushing for his return?

Employees and investors argue that Jensen Huang was stripped of his position without adequate due process or a formal investigation. An internal employee suggestion-box post regarding the leadership change drew more than 1,600 comments, with Business Insider reporting that the comment count had more than doubled. One anonymous commenter wrote, “If you believe in the mission, bring back THE boss,” while another noted, “We are all humans and can make mistakes. Jensen did so many good things and he needs a second chance.”

Concurrently, an open letter from the "Stand with Jensen" campaign organizers criticized the board for acting without meaningful due process. Organizers stated, “We have not been shown evidence substantiating the espionage allegation. After thirty-three years pouring his heart and soul into NVIDIA, Jensen deserves due process, not mob justice.” The open letter called on the board to disclose its scope and timeline, provide Huang an opportunity to respond, and demonstrate that removal serves Nvidia's best interests.

Prominent financial stakeholders have echoed these sentiments. Altimeter Capital Management CEO Brad Gerstner and Atreides Management Managing Partner Gavin Barker wrote a letter to the board stating, “We believe the Board should avoid a rush to replace Jensen that undermines and thwarts the best interests of stakeholders.” Additionally, the petition attracted over 100,000 signatures, which included more than 58,000 shareholders, over 5,600 current Nvidia employees, and more than 1,000 former employees. High-profile figures such as billionaire Elon Musk promoted and signed the petition, alongside Replit CEO Amjad Masad, Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl, and Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan.

What led to the board's decision?

The leadership shakeup followed a series of reports concerning Huang's private conduct. Huang's Sunday email to employees followed media reports of a relationship with Alice Huang, the CEO and chair of Singapore-based Nvidia customer Megaspeed, who has been described by U.S. reporting as a suspected Chinese intelligence asset. Following those initial reports, the board announced Huang's resignation on Thursday after further reports emerged detailing a second alleged affair with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia vice president of health care who reported directly to Huang, and an alleged third affair with an unnamed Nvidia employee reported by Reuters.

The espionage allegations involving Alice Huang remain disputed. U.S. officials and memos cited by The New York Times and Financial Times concluded Alice Huang was a Chinese intelligence asset, whereas China has denied she is a spy. Furthermore, Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs stated Alice Huang was investigated over false declarations regarding server purchases rather than espionage, though police concluded she knowingly gave inaccurate information to downplay her role, resulting in a stern warning and a ban from returning to Singapore. U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche stated on Thursday that the Justice Department had not yet concluded whether Alice Huang was a spy and that the FBI was investigating.

Who is handling the transition and what happens next?

New board chair Harvey Jones and Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress—who is serving as interim CEO—face mounting pressure as Nvidia navigates the leadership crisis. Nvidia's market value has dropped by $1 trillion since the allegations surfaced.

Looking ahead, Jensen Huang is scheduled for a congressional closed-door interview on December 1, followed by a Senate hearing testimony on December 3. Meanwhile, Nvidia's quarterly earnings report is scheduled for Tuesday, and the board has stated it will consider both internal and external candidates in its search to permanently replace Huang. Petition organizers are actively working to filter out fake signatures from the online portal, such as entries for "Xi Jingping" and Hollywood actor "Tim Cruise."