In a shocking turn of events for the computing world, Nvidia’s long-time chief executive Jensen Huang has stepped down after admitting to an affair with an alleged Chinese spy.
The 63-year-old executive, best known for his trademark black leather jacket and high-energy keynote speeches, confirmed his relationship with Alice Huang.
According to reports from The Star, US intelligence recently circulated a memo alleging that Alice Huang was actually an asset working for China’s Ministry of State Security.
To make matters worse, Huang was also accused of having a separate extramarital affair with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice-president of healthcare.
His sudden departure brings an end to an extraordinary 33-year run at the top of the chipmaking giant he co-founded back in 1993. Along with vacating the top job, Huang has also given up his seat on the company’s board of directors.
While the board begins the hunt for a permanent replacement, Nvidia has tapped chief financial officer Colette Kress to step in as interim CEO.
Kress is a seasoned industry veteran who originally joined the company as finance chief in 2013, bringing nearly 25 years of financial leadership experience from stints at major tech players like Cisco and Microsoft.