Nvidia staff are pushing back hard against the sudden exit of co-founder Jensen Huang. An internal suggestion-box post has drawn more than 1,600 comments, many urging the board to reinstate the longtime CEO who stepped down on November 12.
The response is unique in the valley. Huang was the face of Nvidia for more than three decades, leading the chipmaker from startup to a company at the heart of the AI revolution. Employees feel that the company is inextricably linked to him. One such comment in an article about the incident reads,
“If you believe in the mission, bring back THE boss.”
In another comment, someone remarked,
“We are all humans and can make mistakes. Jensen did so many good things and he needs a second chance.”
A longtime engineer submitted the suggestion-box post before the resignation. It asked the board to share investigation findings and consider employee views on Huang’s future. After the announcement, comments poured in. The 1,600-plus figure counts comments on that single post, not verified signatures from 1,600 separate employees. WIRED reviewed the internal correspondence and reported that several commenters explicitly called for reinstatement.
Huang, 63, resigned as president, CEO, and board member effective immediately. The move followed his November 8 internal email admitting he had been “unfaithful” to his wife Lori, with “no excuse.” Reports detailed a relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman linked to Singapore-based Megaspeed. U.S. intelligence officials reportedly viewed her as a potential asset of China’s Ministry of State Security. Further reporting alleged relationships with Nvidia employees, including one with a direct report.
Nvidia’s board launched an independent investigation. It named longtime CFO Colette Kress interim CEO and appointed director Harvey C. Jones as the company’s first board chair. The board is searching for a permanent successor and will consider internal and external candidates. Internal memos from Kress and Jones described the period as “extraordinarily difficult” and scheduled a company meeting for November 18.
One employee sent a company-wide email stating “I stand by Jensen” and calling for transparency. Roughly two dozen staff posted public support on LinkedIn in the hours after the announcement. A pre-resignation Blind poll of Nvidia employees showed about 88 percent wanted him to remain CEO.
Nvidia’s stock took a sharp hit in the surrounding days, with reports of hundreds of billions in lost market value. The episode has drawn congressional attention and questions about chip-export policy. Huang had been a highly visible founder closely tied to Nvidia’s rise.
Employee loyalty is real and visible, yet the board continues its search for a permanent CEO. Whether that internal pressure shifts the leadership transition remains an open question as the company navigates the fallout.
