Trump called Jensen Huang, urged him to fight for Nvidia top job: Report

Donald Trump urged Jensen Huang to fight to retain Nvidia's leadership. His resignation ends a three-decade tenure amid investigations and personal scrutiny.

In Short

• Trump urged Nvidia CEO Huang to fight for his job
• Huang resigned after 30 years, CFO Kress named interim CEO
• Allegations include ties to Chinese-linked businesswoman

US President Donald Trump called Jensen Huang on Tuesday and urged the ousted Nvidia chief executive to fight to retain his position at the artificial intelligence chipmaker, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing two people briefed on the conversation.

Huang, however, resigned from his position on Thursday, bringing an end to his more than three-decade association with the company he co-founded. Nvidia announced that its chief financial officer, Colette Kress, would take over as interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent successor.

Trump's reported intervention came amid growing uncertainty over Huang's future following revelations about his personal relationships, including an alleged affair with a Chinese businesswoman suspected by US intelligence agencies of having links to Beijing. The allegations had triggered scrutiny from federal authorities and an independent investigation by Nvidia's board.

The president had publicly defended Huang earlier in the week, describing him as an honourable person and saying he believed the executive had no knowledge of the woman's alleged links to Chinese intelligence.

TRUMP'S RELATIONSHIP WITH HUANG UNDER SCRUTINY

Huang had emerged as one of the most influential business executives in Trump's orbit, with their relationship dating back to at least 2025. He had repeatedly supported the administration's artificial intelligence agenda and made several visits to Washington as Nvidia pushed for greater access to the Chinese market.

The Nvidia chief also accompanied Trump on Air Force One during his visit to China in May and attended a White House state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping in September. Trump had previously praised Huang and awarded him the National Medal of Science earlier this year.

The relationship between the two came under scrutiny after reports emerged about Huang's association with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman and former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed International. US intelligence officials reportedly suspected her of passing information to Beijing, although the allegations have not been publicly established. China has rejected the espionage claims.

Nvidia's board had earlier launched an independent investigation into whether its chief executive had been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. The company said at the time that it had no reason to believe that its trade secrets or national security had been compromised.

The controversy intensified on Wednesday after The New York Times reported that Huang had also been involved in an intimate relationship with Kimberly Powell, an Nvidia executive who reported to him. Huang had acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife in a message to employees and apologised to his family, colleagues and shareholders.

Nvidia announced his resignation on Thursday, saying Kress would serve as interim CEO while the board considered internal and external candidates for the permanent position. The company also appointed Harvey C Jones as its first-ever board chair.

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and led its transformation from a graphics-chip maker into a dominant supplier of processors powering artificial intelligence systems. His departure comes at a time when the company has become central to the global AI boom and the technological competition between the US and China.

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