Nvidia names Colette Kress interim chief after Huang exit

In November 2026, Nvidia chief Jensen Huang admitted an affair with a woman that US intelligence suspects was a spy. Reports say companies linked to her enabled $7 billion or more of chip sales to China.

Earlier: Nvidia chief admits spy affair, and AI chip supply is at risk

Colette Kress, the finance chief of Nvidia, is now interim chief executive after Jensen Huang left. The company told this on Thursday, and its shares fell 14%. Ives, who is quoted in the report, says Kress will probably serve for about one year. He says the permanent chief will come from outside the company.

What is new

Daniel Newman, chief executive of Futurum Group, says Kress deeply understands the business and has shown fierce loyalty to the company. Huang was the face of Nvidia and a founder who is the same as the brand.

The numbers

The stock is ready for its sixth weekly fall in a row, the longest since 2012. Concerns about the AI build-out pushed it down, above all after the US midterm elections. Nvidia reports its results on Tuesday.

What is not known

The report gives no formal cause for the exit. Huang said he was unfaithful to his wife. Reports say he had an affair with Alice Huang, whom US intelligence suspects was a spy. The New York Times reported a second affair, with an employee.

Insight: The interim chief holds the numbers, and the face comes later

As of September 2026, Nvidia held about 90 percent of the GPU market. The new interim chief is a finance chief, and Ives says the permanent chief will come from outside. It reads as a bridge: Kress holds the numbers through Tuesday while the board looks for a leader with a global name. Buyers of Nvidia chips gain a clear date to watch.