Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia CEO; CFO Colette Kress named interim chief
By Pooja MehraIndustry Trends Analyst, Peepals Tech
File photo: Coolcaesar (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Nvidia's board accepted Jensen Huang's resignation as CEO and director with immediate effect, naming CFO Colette Kress interim CEO, the company said on 12 November 2026.
What Happened
Jensen Huang has resigned as president, chief executive and board member of the US chipmaker Nvidia, with immediate effect, and chief financial officer Colette Kress has been named interim chief executive. Nvidia disclosed the change in a regulatory filing dated Wednesday, 11 November 2026, and announced it in a press release on Thursday, 12 November. The board also appointed director Harvey C. Jones as its first-ever chair. Reports have linked Huang's exit to his admission of an affair with a woman whom US officials regard as a Chinese intelligence agent, according to those reports.
Key Facts
- Jensen Huang resigned as Nvidia's president, CEO and director, effective immediately, according to the company's Form 8-K filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
- Colette Kress, Nvidia's executive vice president and chief financial officer since 2013, becomes interim CEO and keeps her CFO role.
- Harvey C. Jones has been appointed the first chair of Nvidia's board, the company said.
- The board is searching for a permanent CEO and will consider internal and external candidates, according to reports.
- Nvidia shares fell more than 13% in early trading on Thursday before recovering part of the loss, according to market reports.
- Before the resignation, Nvidia had rejected a report that Huang was the target of a Chinese spy plot.
Why It Matters
Huang co-founded Nvidia and led it as chief executive until this week. His sudden departure, without a named permanent successor, creates uncertainty at the centre of the AI industry, from cloud companies that buy Nvidia's chips to governments that regulate their export.
Kress has been Nvidia's chief financial officer since 2013. Keeping her in the finance role while she leads the company points to continuity while the search goes on. The appointment of a separate board chair, for the first time, points to stronger board oversight after a leadership crisis.
The reasons reported for Huang's exit also matter. Questions about a technology leader's contacts with a person regarded by US officials as a foreign agent touch on national security, especially for a company whose most advanced chips are subject to US export controls aimed at China. Those questions are likely to shape how regulators, customers and the board approach the choice of a permanent chief.
For India, where AI companies, research labs and data centres rely on Nvidia's processors, the main question is continuity of supply and plans. Nothing in the announcement points to a change in strategy yet.
Peepals timeline: Before the resignation, Nvidia rejected a report that Huang was the target of a Chinese spy plot. On Wednesday, 11 November 2026, the board accepted his resignation, as recorded in a Form 8-K. On Thursday, 12 November, Nvidia announced the CEO transition, named Colette Kress interim CEO and Harvey C. Jones board chair, and its shares fell more than 13% in early trading before recovering some ground.
| Nvidia leadership change | Detail |
|---|---|
| Resigned | Jensen Huang, president, CEO and director (effective immediately) |
| Interim CEO | Colette Kress (remains CFO; CFO since 2013) |
| Board chair | Harvey C. Jones (first chair of the board) |
| Filing date | 11 November 2026 (Form 8-K) |
| Announcement | 12 November 2026 |
Impact
Short-term: Investors and customers will watch for signs of continuity in product plans and supply, and for any further disclosures from the company or authorities.
Long-term: The choice of a permanent CEO will shape Nvidia's direction in AI chips, its approach to export rules and its ties with governments, including India's.
Who is affected: Nvidia's shareholders and employees, cloud and AI companies that depend on its chips, chip-export regulators, and AI programmes such as India's that use its processors.
What to watch next: The board's search for a permanent chief executive, which will consider internal and external candidates.
Key Takeaway
Jensen Huang has left Nvidia with immediate effect, and CFO Colette Kress is running the world's leading AI chipmaker as interim CEO while the board, now led by its first chair Harvey C. Jones, looks for a permanent successor.
Questions and Answers
Has Jensen Huang resigned from Nvidia?
Yes. Nvidia's board accepted Jensen Huang's resignation as president, chief executive and director with immediate effect, according to a filing dated 11 November 2026, and the company announced it on 12 November.
Who is Nvidia's interim CEO?
Colette Kress, Nvidia's chief financial officer since 2013, is interim CEO and will continue as CFO while the board searches for a permanent chief executive.
Why did Jensen Huang resign?
Reports have linked his exit to his admission of an affair with a woman regarded by US officials as a Chinese intelligence agent.
Who is Nvidia's new board chair?
Harvey C. Jones has been appointed the first-ever chair of Nvidia's board of directors.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Pooja Mehra, Industry Trends AnalystCovers Industry News & Trends and more for Peepals Tech. All stories by Pooja Mehra
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Pooja Mehra is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
