The AI boom has put chatbots at work, AI-generated videos in our feeds, and data centers on the agenda at town halls. Nvidia, a company that got its start making computer games look better, now supplies the chips that power much of the AI industry. That made Nvidia one of the world's most valuable companies and its chips some of the most sought-after technology in the world.

And on Thursday, Nov. 12, the company announced that it had lost the only CEO it had ever had.

The story goes back more than a year and reads a little like an HBO drama, with alleged spies, extramarital affairs, and corporate intrigue. Let's break down the timeline of the Jensen Huang resignation based on what came to light and when.

Last year, the New York Times reported that U.S. officials were looking into whether Nvidia chips meant for data centers in Southeast Asia had ended up in China.

The chips in question had been bought by Megaspeed, a Singapore company that rented out computing power. U.S. export rules limit China's access to some of Nvidia’s most advanced AI hardware, to protect Nvidia's trade secrets and the United States' competitive edge over China in the AI arms race. Singapore police were also looking into whether Megaspeed had broken local laws, but at the time, Nvidia said it had no reason to believe the chips had been sent elsewhere.

S. officials were looking into the company's ties to China.

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