Jensen Huang stepped down as the chief executive of Nvidia on Thursday, four days after the company announced its internal investigation into an affair he had with Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, an alleged asset of China’s Ministry of State Security.

“Jensen Huang has resigned as President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board, effective immediately,” the Nvidia board said in a statement. Nvidia’s chief financial officer, Colette Kress, will serve as interim CEO. The board said it “will consider internal and external candidates” for a permanent replacement.

The board’s investigation was announced on November 8, slightly less than two weeks after The New York Times reported that the chief executive had been the target of a Chinese intelligence operation facilitated through his relationship with Alice Huang, who has no known relation to Jensen. The pair have been spotted in public together at least twice, in June 2024 and May 2025. On November 11, The New York Times reported that Jensen Huang also allegedly had a relationship with a direct report at Nvidia.

The alleged relationship with a subordinate, along with Huang’s business dealings with Megaspeed, a Singapore-based AI company where Alice Huang previously held a senior position, likely played a greater role in the board’s decision to oust Huang than the Chinese espionage allegations, a source familiar with the matter tells WIRED.

US intelligence officials reportedly briefed President Donald Trump on Haung’s relationship with Alice last year, but the president did not act on it.

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