Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on stage in a black leather jacket, presenting a Spectrum-X Ethernet system at GTC Berlin 2026

Nvidia Board Is Preparing to Oust CEO Jensen Huang, WSJ Reports

November 11, 2026 Noah Frank-Hotinczan

According to The Wall Street Journal, Nvidia’s board is preparing to oust founder and CEO Jensen Huang. Reuters, CNBC and The Verge reported the Journal’s account on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, citing people familiar with the matter. Nvidia has not confirmed the report. As of those dispatches, the company had not responded to requests for comment, and Reuters said it could not immediately verify the reports.

We have not been able to open the Wall Street Journal article itself, which appears to sit behind a paywall, and we could not find a stable public URL for it. The summary below sticks to what those outlets say the Journal reported, and to Nvidia’s own earlier public statements. We do not present the allegations as established facts.

The report spread quickly on X, including a Culture Crave post at 23:43 in Europe/Vienna on November 11 that attributed the same account to the Journal.

What the Journal Reported

According to Reuters’ write-up of the Journal report, the board is preparing to remove Huang after two extramarital affairs, including one with a suspected Chinese spy. Reuters, CNBC and The Verge all said the Journal reported that directors were preparing to meet as soon as Wednesday to determine his future.

A decision has not been announced. As of late Wednesday evening in the United States, it was not independently confirmed whether that meeting took place or what, if anything, the board decided.

CNBC said Nvidia shares fell more than 7% in after-hours trading on Wednesday. Reuters put the after-hours decline at about 8%.

The New York Times Report on a Second Alleged Relationship

Minutes earlier, The New York Times reported a second alleged extramarital relationship, with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of health care, who reports to Huang, the Times said, citing five people who worked at the company. CNBC and The Verge repeated that account. According to the Times, as relayed by CNBC, Huang and Powell were reportedly captured on camera being affectionate with one another at a hotel in San Jose, California, during Nvidia’s GTC conference in March.

Nvidia has not confirmed that alleged relationship. Huang’s November 8 message to staff, posted in the Nvidia newsroom, did not name Powell and did not address a second relationship.

What Huang and Nvidia Have Said

On November 8, Huang sent a memo to employees, which Nvidia posted as A Message to Our Company. He wrote: “I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.” He said he takes full responsibility, is “fully committed to NVIDIA” and will work to earn back confidence.

On the national security concerns raised in news reports, Huang wrote that the board had started an independent investigation, that he supports it and will cooperate fully, and that he is committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting America’s national security. The memo does not name the other person and does not confirm or deny the espionage allegations reported in the press.

The same day, in a statement from the Nvidia board of directors, the board said it was opening that investigation “in light of recent reporting that founder and CEO Jensen Huang has been the target of a foreign intelligence effort.” A committee of independent directors, assisted by outside counsel, would oversee it. The board said it “has no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised,” but would examine all available information. It added: “The Board has confidence in Jensen and his leadership team and will provide further updates as appropriate.”

On November 10, the independent members of the board said they had retained former acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim and the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to conduct the investigation announced on Sunday.

Also on November 8, Axios quoted John Rizzo, Nvidia’s head of public policy communications, as saying: “Today’s news will not slow NVIDIA. Jensen is committed to continuing to lead NVIDIA as CEO without interruption.” That statement came before the Journal’s report about a possible ouster. Nvidia has not issued a new public statement addressing the Wednesday report, according to Reuters, CNBC and The Verge.

The Earlier National Security Reporting

The suspected-spy allegation should be treated as reporting, not as an established fact. According to The New York Times and The Financial Times, as summarized by CNBC, Huang was romantically involved with Alice Huang (no relation), a woman who U.S. intelligence officials believe is a spy for China’s Ministry of State Security. Reuters, describing the wider controversy, also reported that U.S. intelligence has said Alice Huang facilitated shipments of Nvidia chips to Chinese firms. Those claims have not been confirmed by Nvidia. On November 8, the board said it had no reason at that time to believe national security or company secrets were compromised.

What This Would Mean for GeForce and Gaming

Huang founded Nvidia in 1993 and has led the company ever since, according to Nvidia’s official biography. The same bio says the invention of the GPU in 1999 “sparked the growth of the PC gaming market.” Nvidia still makes the GeForce graphics cards used in a large share of gaming PCs. The company has not published any statement about GeForce products, roadmaps or leadership beneath Huang in connection with the Wednesday report. Until Nvidia confirms a decision, those businesses should not be treated as changing.

FAQ: Has Nvidia Confirmed That Jensen Huang Will Be Removed?

Has Nvidia confirmed that Jensen Huang will be removed as CEO? No. The ouster report comes from The Wall Street Journal, as relayed by Reuters, CNBC and The Verge. Nvidia has not announced a decision, and those outlets said the company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Did Huang admit to the affairs described in the reports? He admitted in a November 8 staff memo, posted by Nvidia, that he was unfaithful to his wife. That memo does not name anyone and does not address the second alleged relationship reported by The New York Times.

Is the suspected-spy claim proven? No. It is based on U.S. intelligence assessments as reported by The New York Times and The Financial Times. Nvidia has said its board is investigating whether Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort. On November 8, the board said it had no reason to believe national security or company secrets were compromised.

Has the board already met or voted? The Journal, as reported by Reuters and The Verge, said the board was preparing to meet as soon as Wednesday, November 11, to determine Huang’s future. Nvidia has not confirmed that a meeting took place or that a vote was held.

What does this mean for GeForce and PC gaming? Nvidia has not announced any product or leadership changes for its gaming business. Huang has led the company since its founding, including the GeForce GPU line. Any impact would depend on a confirmed decision, which has not been announced.

Sources

The Wall Street Journal: we could not retrieve a stable public URL for the November 11 article (likely paywalled). The ouster report is cited here as relayed by Reuters, CNBC and The Verge.
Reuters, via Investing.com: “Nvidia is preparing to oust CEO Jensen Huang, WSJ reports,” November 11, 2026. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the reports and that Nvidia did not immediately respond.
Reuters, via StreetInsider: the same dispatch, with additional context on the New York Times report and after-hours trading.
CNBC: “Nvidia prepares to oust Jensen Huang, WSJ reports – stock sinks,” November 11, 2026, including the Times reporting on Kimberly Powell and Huang’s November 8 memo.
The Verge: “Nvidia is reportedly preparing to fire Jensen Huang,” November 11, 2026.
Business Insider: after-hours stock move and a recap of the Journal and Times reports.
The New York Times report on the alleged relationship with Kimberly Powell is cited here via CNBC and The Verge; we did not obtain a stable public URL for the Times article itself.
NVIDIA Newsroom: A Message to Our Company (Huang’s November 8 staff memo).
NVIDIA Newsroom: Statement From NVIDIA Board of Directors, November 8, 2026.
NVIDIA Newsroom: Statement From the Independent Members of the NVIDIA Board, November 10, 2026.
Axios: Huang’s memo and the November 8 comment from John Rizzo.
NVIDIA Newsroom: Jensen Huang biography.
Culture Crave on X (23:43 Europe/Vienna, November 11, 2026) and the follow-up post linking to Pop Culture News.