"Lost KRW 21 Trillion in Two Days" Affair Turns Toxic... Huang Falls to 12th on World's Billionaire List

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's affair came to light, and suspicions that the woman involved was a Chinese spy also surfaced, sending the company's stock tumbling. As a result, his wealth fell by more than 20 trillion won in just two days.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks during the final special session of the APEC CEO Summit at Gyeongju Arts Center in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, on Oct. 31, 2025. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

According to Forbes, a U.S. business magazine, Huang's net worth stood at $146.8 billion (about 197 trillion won) as of Nov. 10, 2026 (local time). He ranked 12th on the list of the world's billionaires, down four places from eighth.

Huang's net worth fell by $7.4 billion on Nov. 9, followed by a further $8.6 billion decline on Nov. 10. In total, $16 billion (about 21 trillion won) evaporated over the two days.

With this drop in the rankings, Huang was overtaken by Warren Buffett, chairman emeritus of Berkshire Hathaway; Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison; Amancio Ortega, founder of Spanish fashion group Inditex; and Rob Walton of the Walton family that founded Walmart.

Most of Huang's wealth consists of about 870 million Nvidia shares held through entities including his own and his family's trusts, leaving his net worth highly susceptible to fluctuations in Nvidia's stock price.

Nvidia shares have plunged since the scandal surrounding Huang emerged. They fell 4.3% on Nov. 9 and dropped more than 6% during trading on Nov. 10.

Huang previously acknowledged having a relationship with a woman other than his spouse, but did not disclose the woman's identity. On Nov. 8, Nvidia's board said it had launched an independent investigation to determine whether Huang had been targeted in an operation by a foreign intelligence agency.

Nvidia says there is currently no basis to conclude that national security or company secrets have been compromised, but it will thoroughly investigate the allegations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.