Image source, Reuters

Jensen Huang's potential departure from Nvidia is playing out like a Greek or Shakespearean tragedy, Bob O'Donnell, the chief analyst of Technalysis Research, tells the BBC News channel.

Any departure would raise questions about who could take over - and how they would change the company in the coming years, O'Donnell says.

"It's hard to believe," he says. "[Huang] is bigger than life... a big visionary."

Nvidia has "a consequential crisis of governance" and it will need to decide whether Huang staying is worth more than distrust among stakeholders, adds R Ray Wang from Constellation Research.

The scandal isn't so much a crisis for the AI industry as it is for Nvidia, he says, which has to consider whether Huang's possible replacement would have his ability to bring the same level of partnerships.

"That's really what the issue is... because a lot of these partnerships and investments have been made because of the trust with Jensen."

At the daily press conference held in Beijing by China's foreign affairs ministry, the BBC's Laura Bicker asked about the impact of the Nvidia case.

Spokesperson Mao Ning responded: "Regarding the so-called Chinese espionage allegations, we have already made our position clear.

"China's scientific and technological progress is driven by independent innovation and open co-operation.

"The US should stop fabricating so-called espionage narratives to find pretexts for imposing technological blockades.

"China and the US have maintained close communication regarding interactions between the two heads of state.

"China stands ready to work with the US to fully implement the important common understandings reached between the two heads of state and promote the building of a constructive and strategically stable China-US relationship based on respect, fairness and reciprocity."

Bloomberg has reported that Alice Huang, the alleged Chinese spy Jensen Huang reportedly had an affair with, is "currently living in Beijing with the knowledge of security officials".

In a report published earlier today, Bloomberg cited "familiar" sources who asked to remain anonymous.

Meanwhile Taiwan has revoked Alice Huang's entry permit into the self-governed island.

Huang had earlier used a Hong Kong passport to enter Taiwan, the island's immigration agency said on Wednesday.

Image source, Reuters

Shaimaa Khalil
North America correspondent in Los Angeles

Jensen Huang helped shape the AI boom. His decisions have consequences for businesses, people’s investments around the world and government policy.

That’s what investors mean by “key-person risk”: when so much depends on one individual.

There’s no publicly identified successor. There may be a confidential plan, but there isn’t an obvious next person everyone expects to take over.

So if he goes, investors will want answers quickly: who replaces him, how much changes, and can Nvidia keep delivering on its plans?

Kali Hays
US technology reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Jensen Huang had been a frequent guest at President Donald Trump's White House, even recently attending a state dinner to welcome China's President Xi Jinping.

But their relationship seems to go beyond formal functions. The two have each other's personal phone numbers.

The president said Monday that he had just spoken to Huang and described Huang as "suffering".

He said he believed the executive when Jensen Huang swore he had "no idea" Alice Huang could be sharing information with China.

"He is an honourable guy and I feel very confident that he will be in good shape," Trump added.

The president has frequently praised Jensen Huang's "incredible" accomplishments with Nvidia, as the company's chips have become a significant element in international trade talks.

Nvidia has also given $25m to Trump's planned renovation of the White House Ballroom.

As of Wednesday evening, Trump had not made any further public comment on Huang and Nvidia.

Osmond Chia
Business reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Shares in Nvidia have plunged since news that the firm's chief executive Jensen Huang was suspected of having an affair with another woman.

The firm's shares fell by 8% in after hours trading on Wednesday, continuing a sell-off that has seen more than $500bn (£376bn) in its stock market value wiped out since Friday.

Nvidia shares have been highly coveted due to the firm's dominance in making the chips that have powered the global AI boom.

CEO and co-founder Jensen Huang's early bet on AI has helped Nvidia's market value to rise by more than 470% in the past five years, with stock peaking earlier in October.

Worth around $4.2tn, Nvidia is the second-highest valued firm by market value after electronics giant Apple.

Lily Jamali
North America Technology Correspondent

It was clear on Sunday that Nvidia's board was not inclined to push him out. Now, they may have no choice to place him on leave, at the very least.

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and has helmed the firm for more than three decades.

"The problem with founder-managed companies tends to be that the boards almost behave as though they are boards for private companies or family firms," said Prof Shivaram Rajgopal of Columbia Business School on Tuesday.

"There's always some psychological debt to the person who appoints you. In this case, of course, it's the very charismatic CEO," he continued.

Four of the ten members of the board, excluding Huang, have been in place almost continuously since the 1990s.

"Maybe this is a chance to show that they are independent," Rajgopal concluded.

The potential fall of AI's most consequential CEOpublished at 04:24 GMT

04:24 GMT

Peter Hoskins
Business reporter, Singapore

Image source, Photothek via Getty Images

If Jensen Huang is removed as the boss of Nvidia he won't be the first or last corporate leader to be ousted for having an affair.

But he would be the most high-profile and consequential CEO in recent history to meet such a downfall.

His company's computer chips power the data centres that drive AI and he has been a highly vocal advocate for the technology.

Variously known as "the Taylor Swift of Tech" and "Daddy Huang" in Taiwan – both his birthplace and the home of "Jensanity" – he is the face of the global AI boom.

Huang's fans are not just on the streets of Taipei but also include the man behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, Donald Trump.

Just this week, the US President backed Huang despite reports that he had an affair with a suspected Chinese spy.

What the board of Nvidia will now be wrestling with is whether Huang can carry on in his role as the firm's leader and, if not, who could replace him.

Despite the scandal enveloping Jensen Huang he has many allies and admirers in Silicon Valley.

BBC's North America Technology Correspondent Lily Jamali interviewed Grindr CEO George Arison on Tuesday, after Huang had admitted to an extramarital affair.

Here's part of the interview where Arison speaks about how important Huang is to Nvidia and the wider industry.

Osmond Chia
Business reporter

Image source, Bloomberg via Getty Images

With Nvidia shares plunging in the wake of Jensen Huang's scandal, the chip giant faces mounting pressure to deliver standout results in its earnings report next week.

Nvidia has posted record revenue in recent quarters, with sales driven by demand for the chips that power AI data centres.

Yet investors have not always been convinced, as analysts point to expectations already baked into the stock and concerns about rising competition.

The AI industry also faces scrutiny over the valuation of tech companies and the massive spending on infrastructure like data centres.

"Nvidia has delivered plenty of big results over the past few years, but it has rarely needed one as much as it does next week," says Josh Gilbert from investment firm eToro.

The BBC's North America technology reporter Lily Jamali has been speaking to people who are close to what is happening at the Nvidia boardroom.

She says the future of CEO Jensen Huang "doesn't look good" following reports of a second alleged affair between Huang and an executive dating back to 2007.

Osmond Chia
Business reporter

Image source, Bloomberg via Getty Images

Has Jensen Huang broken his own company's code of conduct?

In its rulebook, Nvidia says employees are urged to "avoid situations where our actions create conflict" including "personal relationships", and the company states that it "promptly investigates reports of misconduct".

Employees are encouraged to uphold Nvidia's core values and maintain high ethical standards, Huang said previously in a note on the firm's code of conduct.

He had admitted to having an affair and apologised to his staff members in a memo on Sunday.

"I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry," he wrote.

On Wednesday, a report also surfaced that he allegedly had another extramarital relationship with an Nvidia employee.

Osmond Chia
Business reporter

Image source, Bloomberg via Getty Images

While Nvidia stocks have plummeted since Jensen Huang's scandal broke, shares in AMD - one of its key semiconductor rivals - have lifted.

Shares in the California-based firm have climbed by more than 21% over the past five days, as investors turn to alternative tech stocks to steer clear of uncertainty around scandal-hit Nvidia.

AMD competes with Nvidia in graphics processors and AI chips for the large-scale data centres that power AI development, though it remains a significantly smaller company.

AMD's chief executive Lisa Su and Huang are distant relatives, both born in Taiwan.

Lily Jamali
North America Technology Correspondent

Elon Musk has entered the chat on Jensen Huang’s future.

On his social media platform X, Musk has posted a “100” emoji in response to AI investor Gavin Baker who said Nvidia’s board should wait for the results of an independent investigation before ousting Huang.

He also wrote that it “would be an honor” to hire Huang, a comment that came in response to another post from longtime financial news aggregator Zerohedge.

Under Huang’s leadership, Nvidia agreed to invest up to $2bn in Musk’s AI venture, xAI, in late 2025. xAI is now part of Musk’s SpaceXSI.

“The only regret I have is, I didn't give him more money,” Huang told CNBC in October 2025. “Almost everything that Elon's a part of, you want to be part of as well.”

Osmond Chia
Business reporter

More than half a trillion US dollars has been wiped off Nvidia's market value as details of CEO Jensen Huang's scandal unfolded.

"CEO scandals are not new, but never at a company so imperative to the biggest investment theme in the world," says Josh Gilbert from investment firm eToro.

Huang has been the "voice that sells the AI story" so a cloud over him is a cloud over the stock "and that cloud has turned into a storm", Gilbert tells the BBC.

David Nicholson from the Futurum Group, a market research firm, says Huang's ousting would give the market a reason to pull back from AI stocks as many investors are already growing "increasingly impatient" with the industry's prospects.

Nicholson says that would lead to a drop in the shares that has "nothing to do with Jensen's bad personal decisions".

Image source, Bloomberg via Getty Images

Nvidia has endured a tumultuous week, as AI boss Jensen Huang became embroiled in scandal. Here is how it unfolded:

8 November: Huang admits to an extramarital affair in an email apology to Nvidia employees.

“I owe my family and all of you an apology,” Huang tells his company. “I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.”

His admission follows news reports that the US is investigating a suspected Chinese spy who had maintained a close relationship with the Nvidia boss. The woman, Alice Huang, had been previously photographed together with the Nvidia chief on several occasions.

Nvidia's board of directors launched an independent external investigation. They had earlier said Huang's interactions with the woman are "not unusual or unexpected".

9 November: US President Donald Trump says the FBI is investigating the scandal, adding that Huang told him he had been unaware the woman he was with was a spy.

Beijing publicly rejects the spying allegations as a smear.

11 November: The story takes another turn after a report that Huang also had an extramarital relationship with an employee who reports directly to him.

Nvidia's board reportedly prepares to meet to decide on Huang's future at the firm.

The company's shares have been falling all week, erasing more than $500bn (£376bn) off Nvidia's market value.

Shaimaa Khalil
North America correspondent in Los Angeles

Ordinary people wouldn’t necessarily know how powerful or involved Jensen Huang, the jet-setting tech boss who rubs shoulders with world leaders, is – though some might recognise the guy in the leather jacket.

But many people have money invested in Nvidia through their pensions and investment funds often without realising it. So a sharp fall in its shares can affect their savings too.

Nvidia’s shares fell about 8% in after-hours trading following the reports that Huang could be removed.

Then there is the wider AI industry. Companies spending huge sums building AI systems depend on Nvidia’s chips. They’ll want reassurance about supplies, new products and commitments that had already been made.

Nvidia’s engineers, its technology and its expertise would still be there. But replacing someone with Huang’s influence inside the company and across the industry would be a considerable test.

Huang crucial to Nvidia's dominance in AI chip developmentpublished at 01:29 GMT

01:29 GMT

Lily Jamali
North America Technology Correspondent

We are past regular trading hours but Nvidia shares have plunged by 8.6% in the after-hours session.

Nvidia's stock is held in many portfolios, including pension funds and 401k plans that people use to save up for retirement.

Few companies are as key to the artificial intelligence industry as Nvidia, which designs the chips needed to develop AI models.

Nvidia is the undisputed market leader in that space and has invested in a number of AI developers and startups, which in turn, purchase GPUs - or graphics processing units - from Nvidia.

And few figures are as crucial as chief executive Jensen Huang, the face of his company and one of the most renowned industry boosters.

"Jensen Huang is one of the most important entrepreneurs in America," Grindr CEO George Arison told me on Tuesday – when the prospect of Huang leaving the company seemed far less likely than it does today.

Arison’s view is shared by many top tech leaders throughout Silicon Valley.

Kali Hays
US technology reporter

Huang has been seen as so crucial to Nvidia's ongoing success that the company – which is the second-most valuable in the world – had not been planning for his replacement.

There is no name that has surfaced this week as an obvious successor, even as Huang had an affair with a woman who was possibly acting as a spy.

Should Nvidia's board choose to oust Huang, or place him on leave pending the just-launched investigation into his extramarital affairs, there are seemingly few people within the company who could immediately take on the role of CEO.

One possibility is Nvidia co-founder Chris Malachowsky. He has been at the company as long as Huang, and for years led its product engineering work. He is the only executive that is at the same level of seniority as Huang.

Huang's children also work at Nvidia in executive positions, but they are relatively young and inexperienced.

Any permanent replacement for Huang would likely be an outside hire.

Image source, Getty Images

Kali Hays
US technology reporter

Nvidia's board is meeting today to consider whether to remove Jensen Huang, as the chipmaker confronts reports of two extramarital affairs involving its longtime chief executive, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times.

Huang's affair with a presumed spy for China, as bad as that sounds, was widely seen in technology circles as something the billionaire co-founder of Nvidia could move past.

But a second affair, if confirmed, and with an employee, is something that any corporate board would have a hard time letting go.

As one technology industry insider put it to the BBC on Wednesday: "He's cooked."

In the first case, Huang had insisted in private that he had no idea the woman was possibly feeding information to Beijing, telling President Donald Trump as much on Monday.

The CEO is considered a crucial part of Nvidia's massive success, and Nvidia has become a vital part of the artificial intelligence boom in the US.

The company is one of the biggest manufacturers of a computer chip required to operate AI tools and language models.