Nvidia Names CFO Interim CEO After Jensen Huang Resigns Amid Scandals

OPA WIRE, Nov 13 (OPA) — Nvidia CFO Collette Kress assumed the role of interim CEO following the resignation of longtime leader Jensen Huang. Huang stepped down Thursday after revelations regarding multiple extramarital affairs, including relationships with the company's healthcare VP Kimberly Powell and another employee, alongside an ongoing security probe into potential Chinese espionage.

Before his departure, Huang sharply criticized Kress during a summer meeting with the finance team, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing an anonymous source. Huang likened her to a deer in the headlights and stated she could not assist him in steering strategy or high-level decision-making during discussions regarding multibillion-dollar guarantees for data center operators.

Kress, who has spent over 13 years at Nvidia following executive roles at Cisco, reportedly questioned credit-based deals involving Huang's son-in-law, Nico Caprez. She pushed for stricter evaluations on how to value guarantees and determine financial returns, and earlier in the year reduced Nvidia's financial commitment to OpenAI's Ohio data center project from a proposed $250 billion in credit down to $105 billion.

Nvidia has initiated a search for a permanent CEO to succeed Huang, who led the chipmaking giant for over three decades. The board faces the challenge of stabilizing leadership and addressing internal financial governance as the company navigates the fallout from Huang's abrupt exit and ongoing corporate investigations.