NVIDIA co-founder Jensen Huang has resigned as chief executive and board member after 33 years, abruptly ending his leadership of the world's dominant artificial intelligence chipmaker.
The company confirmed his departure on November 12, appointing longtime Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO and Harvey Jones as its first independent board chair.
The resignation follows reports of Huang's personal relationships, including one involving a businesswoman suspected by US authorities of links to Chinese intelligence. NVIDIA previously launched an independent investigation but said it had no evidence that company secrets or national security were compromised.
The announcement rattled financial markets, with NVIDIA shares falling sharply and intensifying uncertainty across the AI industry.
Huang's departure raises questions about NVIDIA's ambitious investments in AI infrastructure and its ability to defend its position against growing competition from AMD and other chipmakers.
NVIDIA says its technology roadmap and customer commitments will continue uninterrupted. The board has begun searching for a permanent successor.