NYT Says Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Had Relationship With Direct Report, Adding to Board Probe
The New York Times reported that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had an extramarital relationship with Kimberly Powell, a vice president who reports to him, citing five people who worked at the company. The claim adds to a board investigation already under way, and it moves the questions around Huang from national security toward corporate governance, which matters for NVDA holders and for index investors with large Nvidia weightings.
What the Times reported
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang had an extramarital relationship with Kimberly Powell, the company's vice president of health care, who reports to him, The New York Times reported, citing five people who worked at the company. The paper said the relationship had not been reported before. Both Huang and Powell are married to other people, according to the Times.
Link to the existing board probe
The new claim lands while Nvidia's board is already examining a separate matter. The board launched an independent investigation, led by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, into Huang's earlier relationship with former Megaspeed executive Alice Huang, who has been alleged to have ties to Chinese intelligence. The Times reported last month that US officials had identified Alice Huang as a Chinese intelligence asset. She is not related to the CEO. The board has said it has no reason to believe national security or company secrets were compromised. China has denied the espionage claims, and Alice Huang has not responded to requests for comment.
Governance and company policy
According to investingLive, Nvidia's code of conduct tells employees to avoid conflicts, including personal relationships, and says the company promptly investigates reports of misconduct. Many large companies bar managers from relationships with subordinates, because such ties can raise questions about pay, promotion and oversight.
Nvidia has pushed back on the wider allegations. It said earlier claims that Megaspeed diverted chips had been investigated and debunked last year.
Why US investors are watching
Huang co-founded Nvidia and has led it for decades, so questions about his position carry weight for the stock. Yahoo Finance's live coverage reported that Nvidia (NVDA) stock tanked in after-hours trading following a report from the New York Times. The same coverage cited the Wall Street Journal as reporting that the company's board is reportedly meeting to determine if it will oust Huang as chief executive.
The timing adds pressure. Nvidia reports third-quarter results on November 17. Three House committee chairs have requested a closed-door briefing with Huang, reportedly on November 18.
investingLive noted that because Nvidia is one of the S&P 500's biggest weights, that risk reaches broad index exposure too. The company has not said whether the board's review will extend to the new claims about Powell.
Sources
- Nvidia CEO Huang had relationship with executive who reported to him, NYT reports By Reuters investing.com
- Nvidia CEO Huang faces 2nd relationship report as NYT links him to senior executive investinglive.com
- Nvidia Shares Slip After Report of Second Huang Relationship; Board Probe Widens — BigGo Finance finance.biggo.com
- Nvidia live updates: Nvidia stock tanks in after-hours after allegations of a second affair surface finance.yahoo.com
Written with AI assistance on Nov 11, 6:02 PM ET from the reports listed under Sources, and reviewed by our editor after publication. Before it was published, every figure was checked against those reports, and passages with figures that could not be found there were left out. It can still contain mistakes: read the sources before acting on anything. How we review. Not investment advice.