"Bring back the true helmsman": Petition wave sweeps through Nvidia, calling for Jensen Huang to return as CEO

Nvidia employees are publicly pressing the board to reinstate founder and CEO Jensen Huang after his abrupt resignation over multiple extramarital affair allegations, with an internal company forum petition drawing more than 1,600 comments, most of them urging his return. The 63-year-old Huang, who founded Nvidia in 1993, acknowledged in a Sunday email to staff that he had been unfaithful to his wife, and the board formally announced his departure on Thursday morning, naming CFO Colette Kress as interim CEO and former Synopsys CEO Harvey Jones as board chairman. The scandal has wiped nearly $1 trillion from Nvidia's market capitalization and triggered investigations by U.S. lawmakers and the FBI, while heightening concerns over tighter chip export controls. Employees have also circulated a company-wide email demanding transparency about the departure process, arguing the board moved before completing its investigation and should have solicited staff views on whether Huang should stay. Staff contend Nvidia's rise is attributable to Huang's leadership, and the key question now is whether the board, composed largely of early investors and Huang loyalists, will heed employee sentiment and bring him back.