The resignation followed mounting pressure from lawmakers and the public, compounded late Wednesday by media reports that Huang had engaged in a second extramarital relationship with an Nvidia employee who reported directly to him. The board of directors convened to discuss his future and ultimately accepted his departure.

The company moved swiftly to install Colette Kress, executive vice president and chief financial officer since 2013, as interim chief executive. Kress, who previously spent three years at Cisco and 13 years at Microsoft, said in a statement that Nvidia's "strength has always come from its people" and that she was "committed to building on the extraordinary foundation Jensen created over the last 33 years." The board also named Harvey C. Jones, an entrepreneur and venture investor, as its first-ever chairman.

The scandal centers on Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed International and a onetime employee of China's state television. The two are not related. U.S. intelligence agencies determined that Alice Huang was feeding information directly to Beijing, according to reports first published last month. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the FBI was investigating the matter.

China has denied any attempt to ensnare Jensen Huang. Nvidia has said it had "no reason to believe" that national security or company secrets were compromised, but pledged to examine all available information.

Megaspeed, which prominently touts a partnership with Nvidia on its website, said Thursday that it takes its obligation to comply with U.S. export control laws "extremely seriously" and is committed to working "constructively and transparently" with the U.S. government. The company said it has hired a U.S. law firm to conduct a "comprehensive census" of its computer chips and verify its export controls, and that it has cooperated with the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security.

Singaporean authorities confirmed Thursday that they questioned Alice Huang and confiscated her passport last year as part of an investigation into Megaspeed. They concluded there was insufficient evidence that she had committed a crime but barred her from returning to the country. Megaspeed also faced allegations last year that it was illicitly shipping advanced Nvidia chips into China, but said in December there was "no evidence" of such exports.

The company's finances have drawn scrutiny as well. According to Singapore corporate records, Megaspeed's total assets soared roughly 90-fold from late 2023 to 2024, reaching almost $3 billion, while revenue surged to over $294 million in 2024 from none the previous year.

The ouster of Huang, who had lobbied Washington to loosen limits on Nvidia chip sales to China and in January won Trump's approval to sell H200 chips there, sets off a scramble to find a permanent leader for a company that did not have a succession plan. The board said it will consider candidates from both inside and outside the firm.

Investors reacted sharply. Nvidia shares tumbled 14% at the opening bell Thursday, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq slid 1.5%, reflecting the uncertainty facing a company that has become a linchpin of the global AI boom.

The developments raise urgent questions for policymakers and the public about the intersection of corporate power, national security, and the integrity of the U.S. technology supply chain—issues that will likely shadow Nvidia's search for a permanent chief executive.