CEOs still think they can get away with affairs after #MeToo

Nearly a decade after the #MeToo movement gained widespread attention, the recent events at Nvidia appear to show that many CEOs have not learned their lesson. Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, has resigned after a New York Times report exposed his involvement in another extramarital affair with a subordinate, the company's vice president of healthcare and one of his 60 direct reports.

This violation of Nvidia's code of conduct, which prohibits personal relationships, suggests that CEOs like Huang may be under the impression that they will not face consequences for their actions. While some might recall a viral video of an astronomer CEO caught kissing his chief people officer at a Coldplay concert, this is not an isolated incident.

In recent years, several other CEOs have faced similar consequences for their inappropriate behavior. Take, for instance, former McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook, who was ousted in 2019 after a relationship with a subordinate and later sued for concealing other relationships with employees. Similarly, former Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw was fired in 2024 over his relationship with the company's chief legal officer, and Nestlé SA's Laurent Freixe resigned after a confirmed relationship with a subordinate.

Even Kohl's CEO Ashley Buchanan faced termination last year after dating a vendor he was supplying business to without disclosing the relationship. Despite the backlash, Amy Nicole Baker, a professor at the University of New Haven who studies workplace romance, argues that CEOs continue to pursue their subordinates with little regard for the consequences.

She suggests that the #MeToo movement has not significantly changed CEO behavior or how companies handle these situations. According to Baker, stock prices may drop in the short term, and CEOs are typically removed and replaced, but this does not seem to deter them from engaging in risky workplace relationships. Some researchers believe that power and the perception of impunity contribute to this behavior, as people in positions of authority are more likely to be impulsive and take risks.

Additionally, company culture can play a role, with informal environments encouraging boundary-pushing. While some may hope that the intense scrutiny of Huang's misconduct will serve as a deterrent, Baker suggests that the behavior of CEOs remains largely unchanged.