Jensen Huang resigns, ending 33 years as NVIDIA’s CEO

On November 8, NVIDIA’s board said it had confidence in Jensen Huang. Four days later, the company announced that the man who had led it since 1993 was no longer its chief executive. [1] [2] [3]

Huang resigned as president, CEO and a member of the board. NVIDIA’s SEC filing dates his departure to November 11, effective immediately; the public announcement followed on November 12. Its longtime chief financial officer, Colette Kress, has taken over as interim CEO. [4]

Huang’s apology came before his departure

Huang had addressed employees before NVIDIA announced his resignation. In a November 8 email that the company published, he wrote: “I was unfaithful to my wife.” He took responsibility for the hurt to his family and addressed colleagues, including people he had worked alongside for decades. He said he would work to earn back their confidence. [5]

That same day, NVIDIA’s board announced an independent investigation after reporting that Huang had been the target of a foreign intelligence effort. It expressed confidence in him and his leadership team. The inquiry was announced with Huang still in charge and publicly promising to cooperate. [1] [5]

The board said it then had no reason to believe national security or NVIDIA’s secrets had been compromised. That was its position at the start of the inquiry. The transition announcement does not report a finding from the investigation or give a reason for Huang’s resignation. [1] [2]

On November 10, the independent directors named former acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to conduct the investigation. On November 11, the board accepted Huang’s resignation. [4] [6]

The November 8 letter had looked toward Huang rebuilding trust while leading NVIDIA. By the time the company announced the handover, someone else had the job.

Kress takes on the new job and keeps the old one

Kress joined NVIDIA as CFO in 2013, after finance roles at Cisco and Microsoft. She will remain executive vice president and CFO while serving as interim chief executive, until a permanent successor is named. The board will consider candidates from inside and outside NVIDIA; its transition announcement gives no date for the appointment. [2]

Huang co-founded NVIDIA in 1993 and led it as it grew from computer graphics into AI. The company built its business around accelerated computing, using specialized processors for demanding calculations. Kress takes over that business while its engineers keep developing the products customers expect to use next. [3]

Harvey C. Jones, a director since 1993, has become board chair. NVIDIA’s board says it expects operations, customer commitments and the product roadmap to continue without interruption. Those are the commitments Kress and the leadership team will be carrying through the search. [2] [4]

For a hypothetical team waiting for NVIDIA-based servers, the immediate question is still whether the supplier will deliver the machines on the promised date. Keep the existing deployment plan while checking that commitment. If an allocation is withdrawn, support is lost or a product change removes something the service needs, the team has a concrete reason to reconsider. The resignation alone does not establish any of those changes.

NVIDIA’s quarterly results call remains scheduled for November 17 at 2 p.m. Pacific time, five days after the public handover announcement. Kress has the interim job as the company heads toward that date; the board has yet to name the permanent successor. [2]

On NVIDIA’s own website, one small change already captures the handover. Huang’s biography now lists his role simply as “Founder.” [3]

Sources and scope

Sources checked November 13, 2026. The account of Huang’s apology and the investigation comes from dated NVIDIA statements; no investigation finding is claimed. The server-order example is hypothetical, with no customer delay or hands-on test claimed.

1. NVIDIA board statement, November 8.
2. NVIDIA CEO transition announcement, November 12.
3. NVIDIA’s May 2026 proxy: Huang’s leadership since the company’s founding, and NVIDIA’s current biography.
4. NVIDIA Form 8-K: November 11 events, filed November 12.
5. Huang’s message to NVIDIA employees, November 8.
6. Independent directors’ investigation statement, November 10.