The NVIDIA board of directors is considering the possibility of dismissing the company's co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang following reports of two extramarital affairs, including one with an alleged Chinese intelligence employee. This is reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing its own sources.

The possible resignation of the head of one of the largest manufacturers of chips for artificial intelligence provoked a reaction from investors and participants in the technology industry. On the prediction markets Polymarket and Kalshi, the probability of Huang's departure in the coming days exceeded 50%.

Disclaimer: The material is for informational purposes only and is not an advertisement for gambling or a call to participate in it. The mention of Polymarket is made solely within the framework of a review of the digital asset market and is not intended to popularize or promote the platform.

What is known about the possible resignation of Jensen Huang?

According to WSJ, NVIDIA's board of directors planned to hold a meeting as early as November 11, 2026, to determine the future fate of the CEO. The decision to dismiss had not been announced at the time of the report's publication.

The reason for discussion was information about two extramarital affairs of Huang. One of them concerns Alice Huang — the former head of the Singaporean company Megaspeed, which is a major client of NVIDIA.

American intelligence agencies suspect the woman of cooperating with Chinese intelligence. At the same time, her involvement in espionage activity has not been publicly proven.

In October 2025, The New York Times first reported on Jensen Huang's business ties with Alice Huang. Megaspeed was among the organizations that used NVIDIA chips to build AI data centers in Southeast Asia. U.S. authorities suspected some of them of possibly redirecting equipment to China in circumvention of export restrictions.

Since the end of 2024, Megaspeed had been under investigation by the US Department of Commerce. Subsequently, the Department of Justice launched several investigations related to Alice Huang.

On November 8, Jensen Huang sent a letter to NVIDIA employees in which he acknowledged marital infidelity and apologized to his family and colleagues for the shattered trust.

The same day, the board of directors announced an independent investigation into reports of a possible intelligence operation against the head. The review was entrusted to a committee of independent directors with the participation of external legal consultants.

The company emphasized that at that time they had no grounds to believe that US national security or NVIDIA corporate secrets were under threat. Huang himself agreed to cooperate with the investigation, and the board of directors publicly expressed confidence in his leadership.

However, on November 11, information appeared about a second extramarital affair of the head of NVIDIA. According to WSJ and The New York Times, Huang was in a relationship with Kimberly Powell, a senior company employee responsible for the healthcare sector. She did not respond to journalists' requests for comment.

The situation also drew the attention of American lawmakers. Earlier, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jim Banks called for tightening export controls on advanced NVIDIA chips. They expressed concern about the possible transfer of American technology to Chinese military structures.

In addition, a class action lawsuit was filed against NVIDIA and Huang. Shareholders accused the management of concealing information about potential risks to the company related to the CEO's relationships.

Amid the scandal, US President Donald Trump spoke out in support of Huang. According to the head of state, the NVIDIA CEO claimed he did not know about the suspicions regarding Alice Huang. Trump also called him a decent person.

Previously, the presidential administration approved the supply of certain NVIDIA chips to China, despite national security concerns. Huang maintained close contacts with the White House and advocated for preserving American manufacturers' access to the Chinese market.

A possible change in leadership creates additional risks for NVIDIA. Huang founded the company in 1993 and has led it for more than three decades. He accounts for about 3.6% of the chipmaker's shares.

At the same time, the CEO previously stated that he does not consider traditional succession planning necessary, preferring continuous knowledge transfer within the management team.

In its latest shareholder documentation, NVIDIA warned of the business's high dependence on its current executives. According to the company's assessment, the absence of an effective succession plan could negatively affect its strategy and long-term results.

After reports of preparations for Huang's dismissal, NVIDIA shares fell by about 8% in over-the-counter trading. The decline extended the drop in quotations that began after the disclosure of information about the investigation.

Daily chart of NVIDIA stock quotes.

How does the market assess the probability of Huang's resignation, and what do industry participants think?

Against the backdrop of reports about Huang's possible dismissal, traders on the Kalshi and Polymarket prediction platforms increased their bets on his departure from the position of NVIDIA CEO.

According to the data provided by Kalshi, the probability of the leader's resignation by November 13, 2026 was 51%, by November 14 — 60%, and by November 15 — 64%. The recorded increase in the indicators for these contracts was 16, 7, and 14 percentage points, respectively.

Probability of Jensen Huang leaving the CEO position at NVIDIA within various timeframes. Data: Kalshi.

On Polymarket, market participants estimated the probability of an announcement about Huang's resignation or dismissal by November 13 at 66%, and by November 30 at 78%. The chances of his departure by the end of 2026 reached 81%.

At the same time, the probability of an announcement of termination of powers before March 31, 2027 was 86%, and by the end of 2027 — 88%.

The total trading volume on the corresponding market on Polymarket reached almost $17 million. The most active were contracts with dates of November 12 and December 31, 2026, whose turnover amounted to about $2.54 million and $4.74 million, respectively.

Probability of an announcement about Jensen Huang's resignation or dismissal at various times. Data: Polymarket.

These indicators reflect the current expectations of platform participants rather than a confirmed probability of dismissal. In addition, the terms for resolving contracts may differ.

The situation provoked a mixed reaction among representatives of the technology industry. One of Huang's most prominent supporters was billionaire Elon Musk.

In response to a post by the Zerohedge account suggesting hiring the head of NVIDIA, the entrepreneur wrote that it would be an honor for him.

“It would be an honor for me,” Musk said.

At the same time, he did not specify at which of his companies he could offer Huang a position or whether he had discussed such a possibility directly with him.

Earlier, Musk also supported the position of Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire, who stated that Huang had made a serious mistake but remains indispensable for US leadership in the field of artificial intelligence.

The opposite position was taken by The Verge senior editor Tom Warren. Commenting on the report about Huang's second romance with an NVIDIA employee, the journalist stated the need to change the CEO.

“If it wasn’t already obvious, NVIDIA needs a new CEO,” Warren wrote.

Previously, Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman called for distinguishing marital infidelity from a potential threat to national security. In his opinion, an extramarital affair by itself should not become grounds for dismissal, however the presence of additional circumstances would require accountability from the executive.

The investor also expressed hope that what happened would not cause significant harm to Huang and the company. He emphasized that NVIDIA's head has done a lot for the development of the technology industry.

Former PIMCO head Mohamed El-Erian, for his part, noted NVIDIA's systemic importance for the technology sector, financial markets, and the economy. He emphasized that it is difficult for investors to assess the risks associated with a business's dependence on a specific executive and corporate governance, especially amid geopolitical uncertainty.

In an interview with PBS, the economist also stated that the board of directors faced two main tasks — to ensure the independence of the investigation regarding the company's founder and to resolve the issue of leadership succession.

At the same time, D.A. Davidson & Co. managing director Gil Luria warned that Huang's immediate dismissal could create difficulties for NVIDIA due to the lack of a clear succession plan. In his opinion, the board of directors should act in the interests of shareholders, and a decision on resignation would be justified if there is evidence of a violation of legislation or the company's internal rules.

The discussion surrounding a possible resignation touches not only Huang's personal conduct but also issues of corporate governance and national security.

At the time of preparing the material, NVIDIA had not announced the dismissal of the CEO and had not named a potential successor.