Jensen Huang Resigns as Nvidia CEO: What Happens Next (2026)
Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia’s chief executive after 33 years at the helm, ending one of the longest and most successful founder runs in technology history. On Thursday, 12 November 2026, Nvidia’s board announced that Huang had stepped down as president, chief executive officer and a member of the board, effective immediately — and named chief financial officer Colette Kress as interim CEO.
For a company that sits at the centre of the artificial intelligence boom, the timing could hardly be more dramatic. Nvidia’s chips power most of the world’s AI training and inference, its market value has made it one of the most valuable companies on earth, and its next earnings report lands on 17 November — five days after the announcement. This article explains what happened, who is running Nvidia now, and what the shock exit means for the AI industry, investors and anyone who follows technology.
What actually happened: a four-day timeline
Jensen Huang resigns after several days of intense scrutiny over his personal relationships and potential national security issues, and the departure unfolded fast.
On Sunday, 8 November, Huang admitted he had been unfaithful to his wife and apologised to his family and to Nvidia employees. The board initially backed him, saying it had confidence in his leadership. The same day, Nvidia said the board had started an independent investigation after reports that Huang may have been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation.
On Tuesday, 11 November, reports emerged of a second alleged affair, this time with one of Huang’s direct reports, Kimberly Powell. The board met that evening and accepted his resignation. On Thursday, 12 November, Nvidia formally announced the change. Its statement gave no reason for the departure, and Huang also left the board, ending a 33-year tenure at the company he co-founded in 1993.
It is important to be precise about what is known and what is not. The reported relationships have not been independently confirmed — the Associated Press has said it could not independently confirm them — and the allegations have not been established as findings of wrongdoing. Nvidia itself gave no reason for the resignation, and that silence is part of why the story has moved markets.
Who is Colette Kress?
Colette Kress, 59, has been Nvidia’s executive vice president and chief financial officer since September 2013. She oversaw the company’s finances through its transformation from a graphics-chip maker into the backbone of the global AI industry, including the period when Nvidia became one of the world’s most valuable companies.
Now that Jensen Huang resigns, Kress keeps her finance role while serving as interim CEO, which means she is running both the business and its books until a permanent successor is named. The board is searching for a permanent chief executive and will consider internal and external candidates. US President Donald Trump has suggested former Apple chief executive Tim Cook as a possible successor, but that is a suggestion, not a decision — the choice belongs to Nvidia’s board.
The board also appointed Harvey C. Jones, a longtime board member and former Synopsys executive chairman, as its first-ever chairman. The new structure signals that the board wants steady hands and tighter oversight while it decides on a permanent leader.
Jensen Huang resigns: why it matters for AI
Huang was not just a chief executive; he was the public face of the AI build-out. Under him, Nvidia moved from gaming graphics to data-centre accelerators, and its chips became the default hardware for training and running large AI models. When the person who built that position leaves suddenly, three questions follow.
First, continuity. Nvidia’s products, orders and partnerships do not change overnight, and Kress has been at the centre of the company’s finances for more than a decade. But a founder-led company loses its chief storyteller and decision-maker, and customers and partners will watch closely for any sign of hesitation in product roadmaps or big deals.
Second, the deal pipeline. Nvidia agreed to buy Hugging Face, the open-source AI platform, for $12.9 billion, and the deal is still scheduled to close in the first half of 2027. Hugging Face chief executive Clement Delangue has pledged to keep defending open-source AI after Huang’s exit, which suggests the deal is on track — but any leadership change invites fresh scrutiny of a purchase that size.
Third, the wider AI economy. The same week Huang resigned, Anthropic priced its initial public offering at $70 to $78 a share, valuing the AI lab at more than $1 trillion. The AI industry is simultaneously raising enormous sums and spending enormous sums on computing power — Anthropic alone has committed billions to data-centre energy and leases. A wobble at the company that supplies most of the chips would ripple through that whole chain, which is why Nvidia’s shares fell more than 4% on the day the resignation was announced.
What happens next
The first real test comes on Tuesday, 17 November, when Nvidia reports third-quarter fiscal 2027 results at about 1:20 p.m. PT, followed by an earnings call at 2 p.m. PT. Jensen Huang resigns five days before those results, so this will be the company’s first report without him, and Kress’s first appearance as chief executive. Investors will listen less for the numbers — which cover a quarter that mostly predates the resignation — and more for her tone on demand, supply and guidance.
After that, watch the chief executive search. An internal appointment would signal continuity and a board that wants minimal disruption. An external hire, especially a big name, would signal a reset. Either way, the search is likely to take months, and Kress will be judged in the meantime on how smoothly the company runs without its founder.
The Hugging Face deal is the next concrete milestone. If it closes on schedule in the first half of 2027, it will show that Nvidia’s strategy survives its founder. If it slips or changes shape, it will raise questions about who is steering the company. Meanwhile, rivals are not standing still: Google is shipping new AI models and building its own AI chips, and every competitor will use this moment to court Nvidia’s customers.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Jensen Huang resign from Nvidia?
Nvidia announced on 12 November 2026 that Huang had resigned as president, chief executive officer and a member of its board, effective immediately. The company gave no reason. The announcement followed reports about his personal relationships and an independent board investigation, but those reports have not been independently confirmed.
Who is Nvidia’s CEO now?
Colette Kress, Nvidia’s chief financial officer since 2013, is interim chief executive and keeps her finance role after Jensen Huang resigns. The board is searching for a permanent successor and will consider internal and external candidates.
Huang built Nvidia from a graphics-chip startup into the company at the centre of the AI age. Jensen Huang resigns suddenly, without explanation, five days before earnings. What matters now is not the drama of the departure but the steadiness of what follows: a clean earnings call, a credible permanent chief executive, and a Hugging Face deal that closes on schedule. If it does not, the AI industry’s most important supplier will have a leadership problem, not just a news-cycle problem.
