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Former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang faces fresh allegations of a third extramarital relationship as the company's leadership crisis deepens. (Img: )
Santa Clara, California: Nvidia's leadership crisis has taken a fresh turn after a new report alleged that former CEO Jensen Huang had an intimate relationship with another employee at the company, bringing the number of reported extramarital relationships involving the billionaire technology entrepreneur to three. The latest revelation comes days after Huang acknowledged an affair with businesswoman Alice Huang and amid separate allegations involving Nvidia executive Kimberly Powell.
The controversy has intensified following Huang's departure from the company he co-founded in 1993 and led for more than three decades. The developments have raised questions about corporate governance, workplace relationships, national security and Nvidia's business connections with China, while also triggering volatility in the chipmaker's shares and uncertainty over its leadership succession.
According to a Reuters report published on Thursday, November 12, Huang allegedly had an intimate relationship with another employee at Nvidia. The report cited two people familiar with the matter.
The identity of the woman has not been disclosed, and details about the alleged relationship, including when it began and the employee's professional position, remain unclear. The latest allegation follows reports of two other relationships involving the former Nvidia chief.
The first concerns Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman and former executive at Singapore-based cloud computing company Megaspeed. The second involves Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare, who reportedly worked directly under Jensen Huang.
Nvidia declined to comment on the latest allegations. Huang has publicly acknowledged his relationship with Alice Huang but has not confirmed the reports concerning Powell or the unidentified Nvidia employee.
On November 8, Huang issued a public statement acknowledging that he had been unfaithful to his wife, Lori Huang, following reports about his relationship with Alice Huang. The former Nvidia chief did not identify the woman by name in his statement. He also expressed regret over the situation and apologised to his family, Nvidia and the company's shareholders.
The controversy surrounding Alice Huang became particularly serious because of allegations concerning her possible connections with Chinese intelligence. US intelligence officials have reportedly suspected that Alice Huang, who is also known as Huang Le, may have acted as an intelligence asset for the Chinese government. However, these allegations have not been publicly established, and Beijing has denied involvement in any operation targeting Jensen Huang.
The relationship attracted attention after The New York Times reported on it in October 2025. Subsequent media investigations brought further scrutiny to Alice Huang's professional connections and her association with Megaspeed, a Singapore-based cloud computing company that had access to Nvidia's advanced artificial intelligence chips.
The controversy expanded further after a leading English daily reported on Wednesday that Huang had allegedly been involved in a separate relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare. Powell's reported professional proximity to Huang has brought additional attention to questions surrounding workplace relationships, corporate ethics and possible conflicts of interest within the technology company.
Nvidia's employee code of conduct reportedly requires staff to avoid situations in which personal relationships could create conflicts of interest. When approached for comment about the allegations involving Powell, Huang declined to directly address the matter. A media report about another alleged relationship with an unidentified Nvidia employee has further intensified the controversy surrounding the former chief executive.
Huang's departure marks a major turning point for Nvidia, the technology company he co-founded in 1993 and transformed into one of the world's most influential semiconductor manufacturers. He stepped down after approximately 33 years at the company, having played a central role in its expansion from a graphics processing unit (GPU) manufacturer into a global leader in artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Nvidia's powerful GPUs have become essential to training and operating generative AI systems, supporting major developments in machine learning, data centres, cloud computing and advanced computing infrastructure.
The company has emerged as a key supplier to leading technology firms investing heavily in artificial intelligence, making its leadership transition particularly significant for the global technology industry.
Huang also held a substantial ownership interest in Nvidia, with his shareholding reported at approximately 3.61 per cent. As part of his departure, he is also expected to leave the company's board. His exit has created an important leadership challenge for Nvidia at a time when demand for advanced AI chips remains central to the company's business strategy.
Following Huang's departure, Nvidia appointed its Chief Financial Officer, Colette Kress, as interim chief executive. The company's board is considering both internal and external candidates for the permanent leadership position.
Longtime Nvidia engineer Ian Buck has emerged as a potential internal contender, although no final appointment has been announced. The board has also appointed Harvey C. Jones, former chief executive of Synopsys and a longtime Nvidia director, as its new chairman. His appointment is significant as the company moves towards a new leadership structure.
The succession process will be closely watched by investors, technology companies and the global semiconductor industry because Nvidia occupies a central position in the rapidly expanding AI economy.
The leadership crisis has also affected investor sentiment and Nvidia's stock performance. According to market reports, Nvidia shares declined by as much as 14 per cent during Thursday's trading session before recovering some losses and closing approximately 5.5 per cent lower.
The company's market capitalisation was heading towards falling below the US$4 trillion mark for the first time since July 2025, with more than US$1 trillion in market value reportedly wiped out during the sell-off.
Nvidia had recently emerged as one of the world's most valuable companies, at one point surpassing Apple with a market valuation exceeding US$5 trillion. The controversy has also affected Huang's personal wealth.
Forbes estimated his net worth at approximately US$143 billion on Thursday afternoon. The billionaire reportedly dropped to the 13th position among the world's richest individuals after losing his place among the top 10.
His fortune also declined by approximately 10 per cent at the opening of Thursday's trading session before recovering partially. Although several factors can influence semiconductor stock prices, the timing of the sharp market movement has drawn attention to the uncertainty surrounding Nvidia's leadership transition.
The controversy has also attracted political attention in Washington because of Huang's close relationship with US President Donald Trump. Huang has been an influential industry voice in discussions concerning American semiconductor policy, particularly restrictions on exporting advanced AI chips to China.
Trump publicly defended the former Nvidia chief, praising his contribution to the American technology industry and suggesting that Huang had not been aware of the alleged intelligence connections involving Alice Huang.
The US President also indicated that former Apple CEO Tim Cook could be considered for Nvidia's top leadership position following Huang's departure. Trump subsequently suggested that Cook was the right person to take over the company.
Cook stepped down as Apple's chief executive after approximately 15 years in April and currently serves as the company's executive chairman. However, no formal appointment or leadership proposal involving Cook has been announced by Nvidia.
The Nvidia controversy has also created political pressure around US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, whose role in semiconductor export policy has attracted renewed scrutiny. Lutnick and Huang have reportedly supported allowing greater access to the Chinese market for certain advanced semiconductor products, despite opposition from lawmakers and officials who favour stricter restrictions on technology transfers to Beijing.
The issue has become particularly sensitive because Washington considers advanced artificial intelligence chips strategically important for economic competitiveness and national security. Senior White House officials reportedly discussed the possibility of Lutnick leaving his position on Thursday. However, the White House maintained that Trump continued to have complete confidence in the Commerce Secretary and his ability to perform his responsibilities.
The developments have brought renewed attention to the administration's balancing act between protecting American technological leadership and allowing US semiconductor companies to access the lucrative Chinese market.
Alice Huang's reported relationship with Jensen Huang has attracted particular scrutiny because of her professional association with Megaspeed, a Singapore-based cloud computing company with access to Nvidia chips. US authorities have reportedly investigated Megaspeed over suspicions that the company may have helped facilitate the transfer of restricted artificial intelligence chips to China.
The investigation has raised concerns about possible attempts to bypass American semiconductor export controls through third-country companies and international technology supply chains. Bloomberg also reported on Thursday that the US Department of Justice was investigating Alice Huang over whether entities linked to her were involved in efforts to move Super Micro products to China.
The investigation adds another dimension to the controversy because Super Micro is a major supplier of server systems used in advanced computing and AI infrastructure. Singapore has separately investigated Megaspeed and Alice Huang. Its authorities have reportedly sought information and assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Department of Justice.
However, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs indicated that the country had received only limited information or assistance from the American authorities. The case has therefore raised wider questions about international cooperation, semiconductor supply-chain monitoring and the enforcement of US export restrictions.
Megaspeed has maintained that it takes its responsibilities under American export control laws extremely seriously and is committed to cooperating transparently with the US government.
In its first public response after the controversy gained attention, the company's chairman and chief executive, Tan Yong Pong, also known as James Tan, reiterated its commitment to regulatory compliance. China has denied any involvement in an alleged intelligence operation targeting Huang.
The controversy is expected to continue beyond Huang's departure from Nvidia. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast announced on Thursday that Huang had agreed to testify before the US Congress ahead of Thanksgiving.
The proposed congressional hearing could bring the former chief executive under direct questioning about his reported relationships, his professional connections involving China and his knowledge of concerns surrounding Alice Huang.
Lawmakers are also expected to focus attention on the broader implications of Nvidia's business dealings with Chinese-linked entities and the enforcement of American restrictions on advanced semiconductor exports. The hearing could become an important part of the wider congressional examination of US technology policy, national security and the global AI chip supply chain.
Nvidia's board of directors had already initiated an internal investigation into whether Huang may have been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. The inquiry is being led by independent directors with assistance from external legal counsel.
The investigation is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the reported relationship with Alice Huang and whether any potential security or corporate risks emerged from the association. Nvidia's board has stated that it does not believe any national security information or company secrets were compromised.
Meanwhile, Huang has reportedly hired the prominent American law firm Paul Weiss as scrutiny surrounding his personal relationships and Nvidia's China-related business dealings continues to intensify. The exact scope of the law firm's engagement has not been publicly established.
The revelations have also triggered speculation about the future of Huang's marriage to his wife, Lori Huang, whom he married in the mid-1980s. Lori Huang has not publicly commented on the allegations concerning her husband's reported extramarital relationships.
The developments have prompted questions about whether the couple could face marital or financial consequences following the controversy. However, there has been no confirmed announcement of a divorce or separation. Huang's estimated wealth of approximately USD 143 billion has also brought attention to the potential financial implications of a divorce.
California follows community property laws under which marital assets are generally subject to equal division, subject to applicable legal rules and agreements. However, the precise ownership structure of Huang's wealth, the existence of any prenuptial or postnuptial agreement and the treatment of his Nvidia shareholding in any hypothetical divorce remain unclear.
Financial disclosures have reportedly indicated that Jensen and Lori Huang jointly hold a substantial stake in Nvidia. For now, the speculation surrounding their marriage remains unconfirmed, while the reported affairs and corporate leadership developments continue to dominate international business headlines.
With a congressional appearance expected before Thanksgiving, an internal Nvidia investigation underway and the search for a permanent chief executive continuing, the controversy surrounding Jensen Huang has evolved into a major corporate, political and national-security issue for the global artificial intelligence industry.
