Nvidia staff commend former CEO Jensen Huang after his resignation

Nvidia employees took to social media to praise former chief executive Jensen Huang after he stepped down as president, CEO and board member. The board named chief financial officer Colette Kress as interim chief executive while a permanent successor is sought.

Vartika Singh, a lead in strategic AI at the company, posted on X that she wanted to share a personal view of Huang that she felt was being eclipsed by recent controversy. She said Huang frequently backed researchers, founders and startups facing resource constraints, allocating company support to projects she described as “possibilities most of us could not yet comprehend.”

Singh also recounted that Huang offered personal assistance when her sister was battling brain cancer, meeting the family and expressing encouragement. She wrote that his influence extended beyond his formal role, shaping an ecosystem of innovators linked to Nvidia’s growth.

Senior research scientist Gavan Woolery, who has been with Nvidia for nearly seven years, said Huang personally approved his hiring during a pandemic hiring freeze and credited the decision with preventing long-term financial hardship. Woolery added that he had not interacted closely with Huang but considered him “the best leader” he had encountered, and he warned that removing Huang could have serious financial repercussions for the company.

The resignation follows reports that Huang, 63, had multiple extramarital affairs, including one with a Chinese businesswoman alleged by U.S. intelligence to have ties to Chinese intelligence, and another with Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare. The company has not commented on the allegations.