Summary

  • The board of tech giant Nvidia is considering whether to oust its CEO Jensen Huang, the BBC's US partner CBS News and other US media report

  • Stocks in the firm have plummeted after the New York Times reported that Huang had a second affair with an executive at the company

  • The company has already launched an investigation into an affair between Huang and an alleged Chinese spy, Alice Huang. The FBI is also investigating it

  • Earlier this week, the CEO admitted that he had been "unfaithful" to his wife and apologised to her and their children

  • It remains unclear what, if any, intelligence Alice Huang – also known as Huang Le – allegedly gathered and passed to Beijing. China has rejected the spying allegations

  • Nvidia is the world's second most valuable company after Apple, and is at the heart of the AI race between the US and China

Live Reporting

Edited by Chris Graham and Brajesh Upadhyay

  1. Why is Nvidia so important?

    US tech giant Nvidia is the world's most valuable publicly-traded company - worth some $4.5tn (£3.4tn) - and a leading provider of advanced computer chips.

    These computer chips are critical for all kinds of technology - from video games and autonomous vehicles to massive data centers and cloud servers.

    But most importantly for the AI arms race, these chips are used to power artificial intelligence, including large language models and generative AI systems.

    The US's biggest competitor in the race to build the most powerful AI systems is China, and Washington has restricted exports of the most advanced Nvidia chips to Beijing since 2022.

    The US has justified export restrictions on national security grounds, arguing that such exports could enhance China's military capabilities, although some restrictions have been eased under President Trump.

  2. Nvidia's share price plunges in after-hours trading

    Michael Race
    Business and economics reporter

    Shares in Nvidia, the world's second most valuable company behind Apple, have plunged almost 7.5% in after hours trading.

    The chip making giant ended the day on Wall Street in postive terrority after a difficult few days following the news of an affair between CEO Jensen Huang and a woman alleged to be a Chinese spy.

    But that has changed since the market closed, with reports of a second affair emerging.

    Nvidia is widely considered one of the most important companies behind the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, given it is the sole manufacturer of a computer chip used in AI tools.

    Its chips have become a matter of national security for US officials who are keen to win the AI race against China.

  3. Nvidia board meets over future of CEO Jensen Huang

    Kali Hays
    US technology reporter

    US tech giant Nvidia is reportedly looking today at whether its CEO will remain with the company.

    The company's board is meeting as its stocks plummeted following US media reports about a second alleged affair involving CEO Jensen Huang.

    While the company just yesterday hired a major law firm to conduct an investigation into Huang's affair with a woman who is allegedly a spy for China, today the New York Times reported that Huang also had an affair with an Nvidia employee.

    That pushed the board to consider Huang's ongoing position as CEO of the company, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times.

    Nvidia's board had previously appeared supportive of Huang, saying it had no reason to believe the company's secrets or national security were compromised related to Huang's first affair.

    As of late Wednesday evening, Nvidia's board had not released any statement. Calls to multiple company representatives and Nvidia board members have not received a response.

    Follow along as we bring you the latest on this story.