Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang rumoured to be involved in another affair, this time with a subordinate
Jensen Huang, chief executive of American technology company Nvidia, has been rumoured to be involved in a second extramarital affair, this time with an executive who reports to him.
Five people who worked at the company told The New York Times that the woman involved in the affair was Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare.
The rumoured relationship was not reported when Huang’s affair with a woman, whom US intelligence identified as a Chinese spy, came to light in late October.
The five individuals spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive information.
Nvidia’s code of conduct advises employees to avoid situations that could create conflicts of interest, including personal relationships. The company also states that it promptly investigates reports of misconduct.
Many companies have similar policies prohibiting managers from entering into relationships with employees who report to them.
Pair reportedly seen being affectionate at hotel
According to two of the former Nvidia employees, Huang, 63, and Powell, 48, were seen behaving affectionately in a video filmed at a hotel in San Jose, California, during an Nvidia conference in March.
The New York Times said it had not viewed the footage.
Both Huang and Powell are married to other individuals.
When contacted by phone on Nov 11 for comment on his relationship with Powell, Huang reportedly said: “I don’t think you should be talking to me directly,” before ending the call.
Nvidia declined to comment, while Powell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The five individuals said Huang’s relationship with Powell had been a topic of discussion among Nvidia employees.
According to Nvidia’s website, Powell joined the company in 2008 and oversees programmes exploring applications of its chip technology in education and healthcare, particularly in medical imaging devices.
Powell rose through Nvidia’s ranks steadily, becoming senior director of AI business development in 2016 before being appointed vice president of healthcare in late 2017, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Powell also represents Nvidia at technology conferences around the world, where she delivers speeches on the company’s behalf.
In March, she spoke at GTC, the company’s annual developer conference in San Jose, about how artificial intelligence could drive breakthroughs in healthcare and biology. Her presentation featured cartoon illustrations of Huang.
During the conference, Nvidia executives held meetings at a nearby hotel, where Huang and Powell were reportedly seen being affectionate.
Three people briefed on the incident said a bystander had recorded the interaction on their phone.
According to the same individuals, Huang’s security team spotted the bystander filming and subsequently isolated them. Members of the security team then asked the person to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Nvidia board of directors meeting to decide whether to oust Jensen Huang
Huang’s position as Nvidia’s chief executive is under threat following reports of the second alleged extramarital affair.
According to Reuters, Nvidia’s board of directors had convened a meeting to decide whether to oust Huang, hinting at a stark reversal from its earlier show of support for the CEO.
On Nov 8, the board had expressed confidence in Huang and his leadership team after he admitted to being unfaithful to his wife and apologised to his family and Nvidia employees.
His admission came amid reports of a relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive of Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed International, who was reportedly suspected by US intelligence of being a Chinese intelligence asset.
The board had also announced an independent investigation into reports that Huang had been the target of a foreign intelligence effort, saying it had no reason to believe that US national security or Nvidia’s secrets had been compromised.
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