Jensen Huang Resigns as Nvidia CEO After 33 Years: Colette Kress Named Interim Chief

Jensen Huang has resigned as president and chief executive of Nvidia, effective immediately, ending a 33-year run at the top of the company he co-founded. The chipmaker announced the change on Thursday, November 12, 2026, and named chief financial officer Colette Kress as interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent successor.

The announcement lands at a sensitive moment for Nvidia. The company sits at the center of the global AI boom, supplying the chips that power most large AI systems, and it is due to report quarterly results on November 17. The board moved quickly to put a familiar face in charge, choosing a finance chief who has worked alongside Huang for 13 years.

What Nvidia announced

In a statement and a regulatory filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Nvidia said its board accepted Huang’s resignation on Wednesday, November 11. Huang also gave up his seat on the board of directors, stepping down from all three roles at once: president, chief executive, and director.

The filing, a Form 8-K, gives no reason for the resignation. It discloses no severance, separation, or equity arrangements for Huang. That silence leaves the most basic question about the departure unanswered in the official record, at least for now.

Colette Kress, 59, will serve as interim CEO and will keep her roles as executive vice president and chief financial officer. She joined Nvidia in September 2013 and has overseen the company’s finances through its rise from a graphics chip maker to the dominant supplier of AI hardware.

The board also appointed Harvey C. Jones as its first-ever chair. Jones, 73, is a former chief executive of Synopsys and has served on Nvidia’s board since 1993, the year the company was founded. The board said it has begun a formal search for a permanent chief executive and will consider both internal and external candidates.

Why the board acted now

The resignation follows days of intense pressure around Huang. On November 8, Nvidia’s board announced an independent investigation into reports that Huang had been targeted by a foreign intelligence effort. The same day, Huang acknowledged in a message to employees that he had been unfaithful to his wife, apologizing to his family, colleagues, and shareholders.

Reports in the days that followed described an extramarital relationship involving a woman whom US authorities reportedly suspect of spying for China. Those reports remain allegations, and the leadership announcement does not establish the findings of the board’s investigation. According to reports, the board had been discussing a possible dismissal and searching for a successor in the days before Huang resigned, which has led some coverage to describe the exit as effectively forced. The company has not confirmed that account.

What is clear from the public record is the sequence: an investigation announced on November 8, a board meeting on November 11, and a resignation accepted the same night. Huang stepped down from the board as well as the chief executive role, although under Nvidia’s bylaws he could have kept his board seat after leaving the CEO job.

What it means for Nvidia’s AI business

Huang is one of the most closely identified founders in the technology industry. He co-founded Nvidia in 1993 with two engineers and led it through the rise of PC gaming graphics, the shift to data center computing, and then the AI boom that made its chips the most sought-after hardware in the world. A change at the top therefore carries weight well beyond a normal executive move.

The immediate market reaction was sharp. Reuters reported that Nvidia shares fell more than 10 percent in premarket trading on Thursday, with roughly 500 billion dollars in market value at risk during the session, according to one report. That reaction reflects how much of Nvidia’s story investors have tied to Huang personally, as well as the uncertainty that always follows a sudden leadership change.

For customers, the practical picture is less dramatic in the short term. Nvidia’s chip roadmaps, supply deals, and data center contracts run on multi-year cycles, and Kress has been part of the leadership team that built them. The company confirmed that its third-quarter fiscal 2027 results will be released on schedule on Tuesday, November 17, with the earnings call at 2 p.m. Pacific time. That date now becomes the first big test for the new interim leadership, with investors likely to focus on demand for AI chips, supply, and guidance for the months ahead.

The bigger question is who leads Nvidia next. The board says it will look inside and outside the company, and the choice will shape how the chipmaker handles its next phase: a market where rivals are racing to build competing AI chips, where governments are tightening rules on advanced chip exports, and where the largest customers are also designing their own hardware. A permanent chief executive will need to keep Nvidia ahead on technology while managing relationships with customers who are, increasingly, also competitors.

What happens next

Three dates matter in the near term. The first is November 17, when Nvidia reports results and Kress faces investors in her new role. The second is the outcome of the board’s independent investigation, which has not yet been published. The third is the permanent CEO search, for which Nvidia has given no timetable.

For now, the company that defined the AI hardware era has a new interim leader, a first-ever board chair, and a founder-shaped gap at the top. The board’s message is continuity: the same finance chief, the same earnings date, the same strategy. Whether investors and customers accept that message will become clear over the next few weeks, starting with the earnings call.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Jensen Huang resign as Nvidia CEO?

Nvidia has not given an official reason. The board accepted his resignation on November 11, 2026, days after announcing an independent investigation into reports that Huang had been targeted by a foreign intelligence effort, and after Huang acknowledged an extramarital relationship. The regulatory filing gives no reason and discloses no severance terms.

Who is the interim CEO of Nvidia?

Colette Kress, Nvidia’s chief financial officer since September 2013. She serves as interim CEO while keeping her roles as executive vice president and CFO. The board is searching for a permanent successor among internal and external candidates.

When does Nvidia report its next earnings?

Nvidia confirmed its third-quarter fiscal 2027 results will be released as scheduled on Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at about 1:20 p.m. Pacific time, followed by an earnings call at 2 p.m. Pacific time.