Nvidia’s board is working with an outside firm to identify potential successors to Chief Executive Jensen Huang following reports of multiple alleged extramarital relationships, including one involving a woman suspected of spying for China, a person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
The board is also considering appointing an interim CEO while conducting a search for a permanent successor, the person said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. Directors were scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss Huang’s future, according to people familiar with the matter.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Nvidia’s board was preparing to remove Huang, citing people familiar with the situation. Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The succession crisis emerged Sunday after Huang acknowledged having a relationship with Alice Huang, a data center executive at a company that is among Nvidia’s largest customers in Southeast Asia. The New York Times has reported that Alice Huang was suspected of acting as an agent for the Chinese government.
The situation escalated late Wednesday after The New York Times reported that Huang had also been involved in a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, citing people who worked at the company. Powell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The reports have put Nvidia’s board in a difficult position as it weighs whether to remove the company’s founder and only CEO in its history. Huang has long enjoyed strong support from shareholders and customers while overseeing an extraordinary rise in Nvidia’s market value, with its share price climbing more than 700,000% during his tenure.