Kathmandu, November 12
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has stepped down from leadership positions he held at the technology company following controversy over reports of extramarital relationships with two women.
The company’s board of directors announced the decision, naming Colette Kress as interim CEO.
Kress previously served as Nvidia’s executive vice-president and chief financial officer.
In a statement, board member Harvey Jones said Kress had helped lead Nvidia through a period of extraordinary growth and had deep knowledge of the company’s business, customers, operations and financial position.
The company also announced that Jones had been elected as the first chairman of its board of directors.
Huang’s position came under pressure after reports emerged alleging that he had relationships with two women outside his marriage. One of the women was alleged to have links to Chinese intelligence.
Huang, 63, was born in Taiwan and co-founded the US technology company Nvidia in 1993. He has led the company for more than three decades, overseeing its growth into one of the world’s most valuable technology firms.
Often described as a leading figure in the technology industry, Huang has an estimated net worth of $145 billion.
Nvidia is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of advanced computer chips. Its processors are widely used in video games, cloud servers and, increasingly, artificial intelligence technologies.
The company has a market valuation of more than $4 trillion, making it the world’s second-most valuable company.
Reports of Huang’s alleged relationship with Alice Huang emerged a few days ago. He was subsequently reported to have sent an apology letter to Nvidia employees, acknowledging that he had breached his marital commitment.
The controversy has also reportedly affected Nvidia’s share price, which has seen a significant decline.
