Nvidia is preparing to remove CEO Jensen Huang, and its board could meet as soon as today, the Wall Street Journal reported on November 11, citing people familiar with the matter — a test of how firmly the AI boom's leadership rests on one man.
The move appears to follow revelations about affairs Huang had with two Chinese women, one of whom is suspected of spying for China. The New York Times reported on November 11 that Huang also had an affair with a 48-year-old female executive at the company. Word of that relationship had circulated inside Nvidia, the newspaper reported.
According to the Times, the woman suspected of spying is an executive at a data center company based in Singapore. She is suspected of being recruited as a spy by China's Ministry of State Security and of plotting to secure Nvidia semiconductors for China. Huang acknowledged the affair with her and apologized on November 8.
Ties to Trump, denial from Beijing
Huang has built a close relationship with US President Donald Trump. China has denied the reporting on the espionage allegation.
ITmedia Business Online reported that Huang's scandal has revived calls in the US Congress to tighten restrictions on GPU exports to China. Stanford University research has found that the performance gap between US and Chinese AI models has effectively disappeared. Tightening the rules has also backfired by helping Chinese chips such as Huawei's, which hold a 41% share, the outlet reported.