“I’m Trash, It’s All Over” ... Jensen Huang Ousted Over Affair With a Suspected Chinese Spy as His “AI Empire” Suffers a Miserable Fall

[Financial News] “It doesn’t matter what happens,” “I don’t care.”
The charisma of the man who once ruled a global AI semiconductor empire worth trillions of dollars was nowhere to be seen. Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, was laid low by a devastating affair scandal involving a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy and finally threw in the towel, looking utterly exhausted. The downfall of the tech mogul who had held sway over the global AI ecosystem was truly instantaneous.
Bloomberg reported on the 12th (local time), citing a source familiar with the situation, that just before resigning, Jensen Huang fell into a state of despair, repeating only, “It doesn’t matter what happens” and “I don’t care.” According to acquaintances who spoke with him recently, Huang had already given up on everything, berating himself as “a piece of trash.”
The fall of “perfectionist” Jensen Huang, who meticulously oversaw even the compensation system for rank-and-file employees, was like a tawdry melodrama.
Initially, he repeatedly denied having a close relationship with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy, calling the allegations “baseless.” But he was dealt a decisive blow when the Financial Times (FT), citing US government officials, reported on the 6th that the two were romantically involved. Huang eventually confessed to the affair to NVIDIA’s head of legal affairs, who came to his home, and the board immediately launched an investigation.
Even as he was pushed to the brink, Huang tried to hold on somehow, receiving reports from 60 executives. What finally broke him was a second scandal. The situation spiraled out of control when The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 11th that Huang had also been having an extramarital relationship with Kimberly Powell, a vice president in NVIDIA’s healthcare division.

NVIDIA’s board eventually held a remote marathon meeting that continued late into the night and delivered an ultimatum to Huang: “You have no choice but to resign.” On the 12th, the board appointed CFO Colette Kress as interim CEO and moved to contain the fallout.
NVIDIA board chairman Harvey Jones said, “Jensen’s contributions to NVIDIA have been immense,” expressing his rueful regret. Huang’s departure is expected to have an impact on the AI industry that is difficult even to gauge. With his trademark blunt manner, he won over President Donald Trump and drew crowds on every overseas tour reminiscent of those around the pope.
It’s one thing after another. Bloomberg said, “Jensen Huang has stepped down, but it will be difficult for him to escape public scrutiny,” predicting that he would be summoned to a US congressional hearing in the coming weeks and face a barrage of tough questions.
According to acquaintances, Huang’s greatest concern at the moment is his wife. He is reportedly hoping only that the lives of the women entangled with him will not be further damaged as they become the subject of public gossip.
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