Jensen Huang steps down: the hands-on kingmaker behind the AI boom

Detailed summary

Nov 12 : As Jensen Huang used Nvidia's swelling cash pile to bankroll the AI boom, his involvement went far beyond writing checks.

The Nvidia CEO dug deep into startups' technology, helped them secure customers within his company and even joined fundraising calls to attract investors, according to startup founders, venture capitalists and a former Nvidia employee.

"We don't pick winners. We need to support everyone," Huang said on an episode of the "Dwarkesh" podcast in April.

The 63-year-old brought the same intensity to running his roughly $4 trillion chip giant, overseeing some 60 direct reports and personally diving into problems across the company.

That hands-on approach helped make him one of the AI industry's most powerful figures, with influence stretching from Silicon Valley to Washington, where he forged close ties with President Donald Trump and helped shape US chip export policy.

It also made him one of the AI boom's great financiers with investments spanning AI cloud providers such as CoreWeave and Nebius and suppliers to the biggest labs.

First, reports emerged that Huang had an affair with a Chinese businesswoman whom US authorities identified as a spy for Beijing. Nvidia's board launched an investigation and Huang apologized for his actions: "There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry."

The crisis deepened on Wednesday after the New York Times reported Huang had a second affair, this time with an employee who directly reported to him. The board met later in the day and about 42 minutes before market open on Thursday, Nvidia announced Huang was out as CEO.

The exit now raises questions about whether Nvidia and the AI ecosystem he helped build can thrive without him.

Opening of the article, excerpted from CNA. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.