Jensen Huang is weighing a comeback as Nvidia investors urge patience
Jensen Huang has discussed a possible return as Nvidia chief executive with confidants, the Financial Times reported, as two major investors urged the board to slow its search and keep his return on the table.
Huang is talking about a return
Jensen Huang is considering a comeback as Nvidia's chief executive and has discussed the possibility of returning with confidants, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter. The report was carried by Reuters.
Huang resigned as president, chief executive and director on November 12, days after reports about his personal relationships and amid an independent board investigation. Nvidia's announcement did not state a reason for his departure, and the board has yet to name a permanent successor or say whether Huang could return.
Two big investors ask the board to wait
Two major investors moved first. Altimeter Capital chief executive Brad Gerstner and Atreides Management's Gavin Baker wrote to Nvidia's board on Friday, urging directors to pursue a slow, measured, and deliberate process on the company's future leadership, leaving all options on the table, including the potential return of Jensen Huang.
The letter did not call for Huang's immediate reinstatement. Altimeter held 9.4 million Nvidia shares worth nearly $1.9 billion as of June 30, its largest disclosed equity holding, while Atreides held 1.2 million shares worth nearly $250 million. Together the firms disclosed about $2.13 billion of Nvidia stock as of June 30. The letter said Nvidia will be capably led in the meantime by interim chief executive Colette Kress, who served as the company's chief financial officer for 13 years.
- Combined Nvidia stake, June 30$2.13 billion
- Altimeter shares, June 309.4 million
- Atreides shares, June 301.2 million
- Petition signatures100,000+
- Current employees who signed5,000+
The petition and the politics
Pressure is also building outside the boardroom. A petition called Stand with Jensen claims more than 100,000 signatures, including more than 5,000 people who said they worked at Nvidia, according to CNBC. SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk said on X on Friday that he signed it, and on Saturday he said some critical deals will be lost without Huang.
The resignation followed reports of multiple affairs, including one with Alice Huang, a Singapore-based businesswoman whom United States authorities reportedly suspected of links to Chinese intelligence. Huang has acknowledged being unfaithful. Nvidia said its independent directors had started an investigation and that the board had no reason to believe United States national security or the company's confidential information had been compromised, and Huang has said he supports the review.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to testify before the Senate Banking Committee on December 10 about the Commerce Department's role in keeping advanced artificial-intelligence chips from China, according to CNBC, and Huang has also been asked to testify. President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit China on Thursday but does not plan to raise the Nvidia affair with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to United States officials.
Tuesday's earnings are the next test
Nvidia reports fiscal third-quarter results on Tuesday after the market close, its first report since Huang left, with Kress leading the company. The numbers will show whether the business kept growing while the boardroom was in turmoil.
For now, the board has said only that the investigation is under way and that Kress will lead the company in the interim. Investors, employees and rivals are all watching the same question: whether the founder gets a second act.
