Jensen Huang’s Nvidia Exit Sparks Questions After Second Affair Bombshell

Nvidia is reportedly preparing for a major leadership transition following Jensen Huang’s sudden resignation, prompting speculation about who could take over as the company’s next permanent CEO. An executive from Apple has emerged as a potential candidate, while the announcement has triggered considerable volatility in Nvidia shares.

On November 12, 2026, Nvidia revealed that co-founder Jensen Huang had immediately relinquished his positions as President, Chief Executive Officer, and board member.

The development came after mounting controversy surrounding allegations about Huang’s personal relationships and potential national security concerns. Nvidia’s CFO, Colette Kress, has been appointed Interim CEO while maintaining her existing financial responsibilities. The board has also selected longtime director Harvey C. Jones as its first Chairman and initiated the search for a permanent chief executive. An Apple executive is reportedly among the early names being discussed.

The announcement immediately affected investor sentiment. Nvidia shares declined more than 10% in premarket trading, extending a broader sell-off that had already eliminated hundreds of billions of dollars from the company’s market value. By midday, NVDA was trading in the mid-$150s to low-$160s range.

Why Is Jensen Huang Leaving Nvidia?

Huang’s reported resignation follows allegations involving two extramarital relationships that have attracted attention beyond his personal life because of possible corporate governance and national security implications.

The first controversy centers on Alice Huang, a businesswoman reportedly associated with Megaspeed, a Singapore-based artificial intelligence company with significant commercial connections to Nvidia. U.S. authorities have reportedly identified her as a suspected asset of China’s Ministry of State Security.

According to media reports, Huang had been photographed with her multiple times. The alleged association raised concerns about whether foreign intelligence interests could have attempted to target the Nvidia executive.

Huang subsequently apologized to company employees for his infidelity but denied compromising sensitive corporate information or creating any threat to national security.

The situation became more serious after additional reports alleged that Huang had a second relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, who reportedly worked directly under him.

These revelations reportedly triggered an internal investigation by Nvidia’s board. Following a late-night meeting, the directors agreed to accept Huang’s resignation.

The alleged relationship involving a direct subordinate, alongside the reported intelligence-related concerns surrounding the first case, added significant pressure to Nvidia’s leadership.

Who Is Colette Kress? Is Apple’s Johny Srouji a Potential Nvidia CEO?

Colette Kress has been a central figure in Nvidia’s financial leadership since joining the company as Executive Vice President and CFO in September 2013. She has now stepped into the Interim CEO position to oversee the transition while the board searches for a permanent replacement.

Before Nvidia, Kress accumulated almost 25 years of experience in senior financial roles at major technology companies.

Her previous positions included CFO of Cisco’s Business Technology and Operations organization and Microsoft’s Server and Tools division. She also worked at Texas Instruments earlier in her career.

Kress holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.

Nvidia experienced extraordinary financial growth during her tenure, with revenue increasing from approximately $4 billion to more than $200 billion as demand for AI processors and computing infrastructure accelerated.

Her immediate priority as Interim CEO is expected to be maintaining operational continuity and investor confidence while the board considers candidates for permanent leadership.

Apple’s Johny Srouji has reportedly emerged as one possible contender. His experience leading Apple’s semiconductor engineering and hardware development operations could make him a prominent candidate as Nvidia evaluates its future leadership structure.

Hyperliquid’s NVDA Perpetual Contracts Face Selling Pressure Alongside Nvidia Stock

Hyperliquid offers traders access to leveraged perpetual contracts linked to Nvidia’s share price, enabling them to speculate on the stock’s performance around the clock without purchasing actual NVDA shares.

These contracts closely follow movements in the underlying equity market and have attracted increased attention during the recent leadership controversy.

After reports about Huang’s alleged relationships and the board’s internal investigation surfaced in early November, Hyperliquid’s NVDA perpetual contract also began experiencing substantial selling pressure.

The contract dropped from approximately $170–$175 to the mid-$150s, trading around $158–$160 on November 12. This reflects a decline of roughly 9%–11% across the latest sessions, with broader losses recorded against pre-controversy levels.

Open interest has remained elevated at hundreds of millions of dollars, suggesting that traders continue to maintain substantial speculative positions. Funding rates have also experienced fluctuations as market participants adjust their long and short exposure.

Trading volume surged following the resignation announcement, indicating increased liquidations and aggressive repositioning across the derivatives market.

Technically, the contract has moved below several important short-term support levels, while momentum indicators suggest deeply oversold conditions.

A potential rebound in Nvidia’s regular shares could provide immediate support to the corresponding Hyperliquid contract. However, the use of leverage can amplify market movements, increasing the possibility of sharp losses as well as sudden recovery rallies.