Jensen Huang Resigns as Nvidia CEO After 33 Years (2026)

Nvidia announced on Thursday, November 12, 2026, that Jensen Huang resigns as president and chief executive officer, effective immediately, ending a 33-year run leading the company he co-founded in 1993. The board accepted his resignation on November 11, according to a Form 8-K filing. Chief financial officer Colette Kress will serve as interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent successor.

Jensen Huang resigns: what Nvidia announced

In its announcement, Nvidia said Kress, 59, will keep her role as chief financial officer until a permanent chief executive is named. She has served as Nvidia’s CFO since 2013. The board also appointed Harvey C. Jones, 73, as its first-ever Chair. Jones is a former chief executive of Synopsys and has served on Nvidia’s board since 1993. The board said it is searching for a permanent CEO and will consider internal and external candidates. No timetable was given for the appointment.

Nvidia’s release gave no reason for the resignation, carried no quote from Huang, and did not mention the board investigation announced on November 8. CNN reported the news on November 12, and USA Today covered the resignation the same day. Al Jazeera and Business Standard also reported that Jensen Huang resigns with immediate effect, ending a tenure that began when he co-founded the company in 1993.

Investors reacted sharply to the news. Nvidia shares fell more than 13 percent in pre-market trading on November 12, then recovered some ground after the open, trading about 8 percent below the previous close. The drop pushed Nvidia’s market value below $4 trillion for the first time since July 2025. The sell-off hit the maker of Nvidia GPUs just days before the company reports its next quarterly results.

The resignation followed a dramatic week for Nvidia. On November 8, the board announced an independent investigation into whether Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort. The New York Times reported on October 29 that Alice Huang, a former executive of Singapore-based Megaspeed, had sought close ties with Huang. US officials believe she was recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security. The New York Times report on October 29 came ten days before the board announced its investigation. Nvidia launched an investigation into Jensen Huang after the report, and the inquiry was already under way when he stepped down.

Jensen Huang speaking at Stanford University in April 2026 — Jensen Huang speaking to a full lecture hall at Stanford University, April 30, 2026. Photo: Anders Eidesvik / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The New York Times also reported on November 11 that Huang had an affair with Kimberly Powell, an Nvidia vice president. Huang admitted on Sunday that he had been unfaithful to his wife and apologized. The Wall Street Journal reported on November 11 that directors were preparing to remove him, and the board met on Wednesday night, November 11, the same day it accepted his resignation.

President Donald Trump said Tim Cook should replace Huang as CEO. Names reported as possible successors include Apple’s Johny Srouji and Nvidia chief technology officer Michael Kagan. Neither name has been confirmed by Nvidia as a candidate, and the board has said only that it will consider internal and external candidates.

Nvidia reports third-quarter fiscal 2027 results on Tuesday, November 17, with an earnings call at 2 p.m. PT. The call comes five days after Jensen Huang resigns. Nvidia said operations, customer commitments and the product roadmap continue without interruption. Huang had also been scheduled to deliver the keynote at Nvidia’s GTC event in Washington on November 30. Huang is 63 and owns about 3.6 percent of Nvidia’s stock. He has agreed to testify before Congress, and a shareholder class-action lawsuit has been filed.

Jensen Huang resigns after 33 years, and for now, Kress leads Nvidia while the board runs its search. The choice of a permanent successor will shape the company’s next chapter.

The November 17 earnings call will be Nvidia’s first public report since the leadership change was announced.

Sources: NVIDIA Newsroom, CNN, USA Today, Al Jazeera, Business Standard, The Indian Express

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Axee Davies

Axee Davies is the founder of AxeeTech, publishing gaming guides, codes, and Windows how-tos since March 2013. A tech enthusiast for 13+ years — starting with smartphones and Android rooting — he now runs a site that puts out a new guide every day for Roblox players, traders, and Windows users. More about AxeeTech

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