"An affair is an affair, achievements are achievements" - Nvidia in a "sea of tears" after Jensen Huang's departure

CEO resigns after 33 years amid affair scandal
88% of 232 employees support him staying on
Flowers and candles appear outside headquarters
Concerns over leadership vacuum after Jensen Huang's departure

Many employees reportedly wanted Nvidia founder Jensen Huang to remain CEO after he stepped down amid an affair scandal. Some employees cried at the sudden news of his resignation, and bouquets of flowers and candles appeared outside the company’s Silicon Valley headquarters in the United States.

In Santa Clara, California, where Nvidia's headquarters is located, bouquets of flowers and candles were spotted outside the building. There was no accompanying message, but CNBC interpreted the scene as reflecting sadness over former CEO Huang's departure. Reuters-Yonhap News

Yonhap News Agency reported on Nov. 13, citing CNBC and other outlets, that Nvidia was gripped by a somber mood after former CEO Huang announced his resignation. A survey conducted before Huang stepped down has drawn renewed attention, showing that about nine out of every 10 Nvidia employees supported his staying on as CEO. In a poll shared on social media, 88% of respondents said Huang should remain in his position in a survey of 232 Nvidia employees conducted on Nov. 9 and 10. Eleven percent said he should resign voluntarily, while only 1% said the board should remove him.

In a separate survey of 1,689 workers, including employees of other companies, 60% of respondents also supported Huang staying on as CEO. Eighteen percent said they wanted him to resign voluntarily, and 22% supported his removal by the board. This means support among Nvidia employees was 28 percentage points higher than among workers outside the company. However, the survey was conducted before Huang announced his resignation and did not reflect any changes in employees’ views following the additional allegations that emerged afterward.

Bouquets and candles were seen outside the building in Santa Clara, California, where Nvidia is headquartered. AFP-Yonhap News

Despite this high level of support, former CEO Huang ultimately stepped away from the helm after 33 years. CNBC reported that some Nvidia employees cried after news of his resignation broke. An anonymous source said that many employees had regarded Huang almost as an idol and viewed him as a figure embodying Nvidia’s identity. The source added that the mood inside the company was far more complicated than it appeared from the outside.

In Santa Clara, California, where Nvidia’s headquarters is located, bouquets of flowers and candles were seen outside the building. Although there was no accompanying message, CNBC interpreted the scene as reflecting sadness over former CEO Huang’s departure.

Nvidia founder Jensen Huang stepped down as CEO amid an affair scandal, casting a pall over the company. AFP-Yonhap News Agency

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and led the company for 33 years, turning it into a world-leading artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor company.

He is also known for his distinctive management style: he has not named a successor and receives reports directly from about 60 senior executives. With major decisions concentrated in the hands of a single founder, concerns have emerged that his departure could significantly affect Nvidia’s business strategy and organizational management.

Nvidia has appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Colette Kress as interim CEO and is working to minimize any leadership vacuum. In a message to employees, interim CEO Kress thanked them for their dedication in keeping the company going through a difficult time, emphasizing, "You are our greatest strength." Nvidia plans to hold an all-hands meeting on Nov. 18 to share its direction for the future.

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