Jensen Huang leaves Nvidia after taking the company to unprecedented heights

Credit: NVIDIA Published Nov 12, 2026, 10:33 AM EST Viraj Gawde is a Tech Journalist with bylines at Travel+Leisure India & South Asia, Android Headlines, 91Mobiles, Croma Unboxed, etc. He has written thousands of news pieces, how-to guides, product comparisons, listicles, and op-eds on consumer tech. Currently, Viraj is obsessed with the fast-evolving world of artificial intelligence and how it is reshaping the way we work, create, and use tech. As a curious generalist, Viraj's work extends into a wide range of subjects, formats, and storytelling styles. When away from desk, he is a finance, sports, and travel geek with a constant curiosity for new experiences. Sign in to your How-To Geek account Nvidia has spent the last few years becoming one of the most powerful companies in the technology industry. And the man who built it, Jensen Huang, the leather-jacketed face of the AI boom, has just announced his resignation as President, CEO, and board member with immediate effect after 33 years at the helm. Nvidia is handing the keys to its CFO, Colette Kress, in the interim. This has triggered one of the biggest leadership changes in the semiconductor industry. Nvidia prepares for a future without Jensen Company’s success leaned too heavily on him Jensen’s resignation announcement is significant because he has been closely involved in shaping every major chapter of Nvidia’s growth. That includes everything from making GPUs the staple of gaming to moving into scientific computing, data centres, and eventually artificial intelligence. Just a few months ago, Nvidia began pushing beyond its traditional GPU territory with RTX Spark PCs built around the company’s Grace CPU and Blackwell RTX GPU. Nvidia’s official announcement doesn’t spell out why Huang is leaving, but the timeline is hard to ignore. There have been reports that the executive had been the target of foreign intelligence. The company had also launched an independent investigation into the matter and added that it had no reason to believe that US national security or Nvidia’s proprietary information were compromised. However, this put the company’s future under an unusual spotlight. Who takes over Nvidia now The company isn't slowing its AI ambitions Colette Kress isn’t a newcomer. She joined the company as CFO in September 2013. Nvidia says that its board is searching for a permanent replacement for Jensen and will consider both internal and external candidates. Along with Kress, Harvey C. Jones has also been appointed as Nvidia’s first-ever board chair. A leadership shake-up doesn’t mean a new direction. For anyone who relies on Nvidia’s hardware, the company says that its business and product roadmap will continue as usual without any interruptions. The first real test will come soon. The company’s next quarterly earnings call is scheduled for November 17. Huang's departure marks more than an ordinary CEO transition. For now, the bigger questions remain around what the investigations find and who ends up in a permanent CEO seat. Source: Nvidia