Jensen Huang Discussing Return as NVIDIA CEO... Musk Also Voices Support

Just four days after stepping down, former NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang is reportedly seeking to return to the company. Prominent Silicon Valley figures, including Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, have also voiced their support, bolstering calls for his return.

The Financial Times (FT), citing multiple sources on November 15 local time, reported that Huang had recently discussed the possibility of returning to the top job with close associates. One of his associates told the FT that Silicon Valley executives are forming a so-called "War Room" to lobby for his return, and plan to seek support from the White House. The associate added that Huang himself supports these efforts.

Nvidia's then-CEO Jensen Huang gestures on the day of the "Invest in Germany" summit, held in Berlin, Germany, on the 19th of last month. Berlin, Germany = Reuters-Yonhap News.

Calls for Huang to return are gaining momentum in Silicon Valley. Prominent executives, including Musk and Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, have reportedly signed an open letter to the NVIDIA board urging it to "bring former CEO Huang back." The FT reported that "Huang still commands blind loyalty from some employees, many of whom have publicly called for his return since he resigned."

However, significant obstacles to Huang's return remain. The NVIDIA board is conducting an independent investigation into the conduct that prompted his resignation. In particular, allegations that Alice Huang, his alleged affair partner, whose Chinese name is Huang Le, is a Chinese spy have fueled concerns over NVIDIA's violations of U.S. export controls on semiconductor sales to China, intensifying pressure from politicians. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called that day for a sweeping overhaul of NVIDIA's management.

Even among the associates pushing for Huang's return, some have argued that an affair with a subordinate is grounds for dismissal. This has prompted predictions that he will struggle to restore his reputation, which has been badly damaged by the affair allegations. Moreover, Huang does not hold a controlling stake in NVIDIA, making it difficult for him to challenge the board's decision on his own.

The possibility that the board will search for a new CEO candidate is another factor. The FT reported on November 13 that NVIDIA's board had approached Arm CEO Rene Haas as a possible successor. However, the board categorically denied having formally approached any candidates, saying that the official process to select a successor had not begun.

NVIDIA Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress is currently handling Huang's duties. For now, the company says it will focus on maintaining stable operations ahead of its quarterly earnings announcement on November 17.

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