How Jensen Huang, the Taylor Swift of tech, reached the pinnacle of success and then fell in the quagmire of multiple extramarital affairs involving Alice Huang, Kimberly Powell and a third unidentified Nvidia employee

It took Jensen Huang more than three decades to transform Nvidia from a beginner graphics-chip company to one of the world’s most impactful companies. Huang, born in Taiwan, created the foundation for the AI revolution, to say the least. He subsequently earned power, political access and an estimated fortune of $155 billion.

However, in November 2026, his extraordinary corporate journey took an unexpected turn. Reports of three extramarital relationships, including one involving a businesswoman suspected by US intelligence officials of having links to Chinese espionage, triggered a major controversy. After admitting to infidelity, Huang resigned as Nvidia's president, CEO and board member on November 12.

His departure marked a dramatic reversal for a businessman who had spent 33 years building Nvidia into a company valued at nearly $4 trillion.

Jensen Huang's early life

Born in Taiwan in 1963, Huang immigrated to the United States at the age of nine. After joining Oregon State University, he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering before enrolling for a Master’s degree at Stanford University.

During his time in university, he met his future wife, Lori Mills. The couple worked together as lab partners and got married in 1985, eight years before the founding of Nvidia.

1993: Founding Nvidia

In April 1993, Huang co-founded Nvidia with fellow engineers Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem. Their ambition was to develop specialised processors capable of improving computer graphics, particularly for gaming and multimedia applications.

In 1999, Nvidia launched the graphics processing unit (GPU), transforming computer graphics and establishing itself as a major semiconductor manufacturer. The company also went public that year.

2017-2026: Becoming the face of the AI revolution

With the progress of artificial intelligence, GPUs from Nvidia became crucial elements in training and running more complex AI. Among the company's key customers were Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta, OpenAI, and Anthropic.

Eventually, the financial state of Nvidia became an indicator of the success of the AI revolution. According to Nvidia's annual report for the year 2026, the company earned $215.9 billion.

His influence also extended into international politics. Huang was courted by Trump as advanced semiconductors became increasingly important in the US-China technology rivalry. In October 2026, Trump awarded him and other executives the National Medal of Science.

But Nvidia's position at the centre of this geopolitical competition would eventually become central to the controversy surrounding its founder.

October 2025-October 2026: Alice Huang and suspected Chinese espionage

The first signs of trouble emerged from an investigation involving Singapore-based Megaspeed International, established in 2023 as a spinoff of Chinese company 7Road Holdings.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the company planned to develop data centres in Southeast Asia using Nvidia chips and rent computing capacity to customers. US authorities began investigating Megaspeed in late 2024 over concerns that chips could have been diverted to China in violation of American export restrictions.

Alice Huang, who is not related to Jensen Huang, was associated with the company. The two were photographed together at a technology conference in Taipei in June 2024 and again at a private dinner in May 2025.

In October 2026, The New York Times reported that US intelligence officials suspected Alice Huang of being a Chinese intelligence asset and were examining her relationship with Nvidia's CEO.

The controversy raised national security concerns because Nvidia's advanced chips had become strategically important to Washington's competition with Beijing. However, the espionage allegations were not established findings of guilt.

November 8-11: Huang admits infidelity as second affair emerges

On November 8, Huang acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife and apologised to his family. Nvidia's board also initiated an investigation into whether he had been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation and whether sensitive company information had been compromised.

Trump initially defended the technology executive, calling him an honourable man. On November 9, the president said Huang had told him he had no knowledge that Alice Huang was a spy.

However, the controversy intensified on November 11, when The New York Times reported another alleged extramarital relationship, this time involving Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare.

Powell had worked at Nvidia for approximately 18 years and held a senior executive position. The report, citing five Nvidia employees, described an alleged relationship between the two executives.

November 12: Third alleged relationship and resignation

The scandal took another turn on November 12, when Reuters reported that Huang had allegedly maintained an intimate relationship with a second Nvidia employee, separate from the reported relationship with Powell.

Citing two people familiar with the matter, Reuters reported the additional relationship but did not identify the employee. The allegations involving all three women were not independently confirmed by every party.

That same day, Nvidia announced Huang's resignation as president, CEO and board member, effective immediately. The company's regulatory filing confirmed that the board had accepted his resignation on November 11.

Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress was appointed interim CEO while the company searched for a permanent successor. Harvey C. Jones, a board member since 1993, was appointed Nvidia's first-ever board chair.