Nvidia boss Huang resigns after espionage scandal

background are two extramarital affairs of the manager. Particularly explosive: One of the affairs Huang is said to be with suspected Chinese spy have had – corresponding investigations have already begun.

Case of AI pioneer Huang

Bad news for the pioneer of the AI ​​boom. Because it was Huang who made Nvidia the world’s most important manufacturer in the field of AI computing: The 61-year-old was known as “Mr. Nvidia”.

Ahead of Thursday’s decision, Nvidia shares had already lost $300 billion in value. In their wake, the stocks of other semiconductor manufacturers such as Intel and Micron lost more than five percent in some cases. Investors fear far-reaching consequences of the leadership crisis for the global AI supply chain.

Huang himself probably won’t have to spend long looking for a job: Tesla boss Elon Musk already offered him a new position on platform X. In response to a user’s post asking him to hire Huang, Musk replied that it would be “an honor.” The two already have a business relationship; Tesla purchases chips from Nvidia that the car manufacturer uses to train AI models for autonomous driving and robotics.

Espionage, affairs and billions in losses

Huang’s two affairs had made headlines around the world in the past few days.

Affair number one, with the suspected Chinese spy Alice Huang (the same last name is a coincidence) was only announced on Sunday. Affair number two – reportedly with the vice president who reported directly to him – was the last straw on Thursday.

Political dimension

Nvidia dominates the market for Special chipswhich are essential for training artificial intelligence (AI) models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The group is therefore at the center of the technological competition between the USA and China. The US authorities are investigating the suspicion that the affair with the Chinese woman government in Beijing Had access to state-of-the-art AI chips that are banned from export to China.

Since 2022, the USA has been trying to restrict China’s access to these technologies with export controls in order to slow down the technological and military rise of the People’s Republic. Huang also has a short connection to the US President Donald Trump.

The group was most recently valued on the stock exchange at around four trillion dollars.

Huang led the company since its founding in 1993, making him one of the longest-serving CEOs in Silicon Valley. He turned a manufacturer of graphics cards into what was temporarily the most valuable listed company in the world. For this he was celebrated like a rock star, especially in his native Taiwan. He maintained this image with a black leather jacket, which he always wore during public appearances.