Jensen Huang don resign as Nvidia chief executive officer after one affair scandal and serious political pressure. Nvidia finance chief Colette Kress don take over as interim CEO, but e never clear who go lead di company for long term.
Di matter start after Huang acknowledge say e get affair with Alice Huang, one business executive. According to The New York Times, US intelligence identify Alice Huang, wey some people sabi as Huang Le, as person wey China Ministry of State Security recruit to gather information on Jensen. Di report rely on people wey dem brief on di intelligence. Nvidia board bin dey prepare to meet over Huang future before di resignation news land, and di shares bin fall.
Some lawmakers don call on Huang to resign. Sen. Kevin Cramer, member of Senate Banking Committee, repeat im call on Wednesday. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, member of House Oversight Committee, and Rep. Don Bacon, wey dey retire from Congress, join di call. Cramer tell CNBC say, ‘As a matter of his own conscience, he should resign.’
For market, Nvidia shares open down more than 13% after e plunge for after-hours trading, but by mid-morning for US, e bin down about 6%. Nasdaq Composite bin down about 0.6%, while S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average also trade for negative territory.
US President Donald Trump bin write say Tim Cook of Apple na di man to replace Huang. Trump talk say Huang do fantastic job. Tim Cook bin serve as Apple chief executive until August this year and currently be executive chair of di board.
Elon Musk also tok say e go be honor to hire Huang. Musk reply like that after reports talk say Nvidia board fit move to oust Huang.
Stephen Witt, wey write The Thinking Machine, one biography of Huang, tell BBC Newsnight say di resignation na one of di most incredible downfalls of a corporate executive in recent history. Witt talk say e almost impossible to imagine Nvidia without Huang, because na only chief executive di company ever know. E describe Huang as demanding boss wey dey push im people to limit, and as very brilliant world-class computer scientist, but e talk say arrogance and self-deception dey im side. Witt talk say na classic human story of hubris, masculine hubris and overconfidence.
Di fallout put Trump administration for difficult political place. Trump bin stand by Huang and earlier for week suggest say Huang fit remain for im position. Even before di resignation, Democrats on Capitol Hill bin accuse di administration say e too deferential to Nvidia and say e dey endanger US national security.
