If Jensen Huang exits Nvidia, who could take the US$4tr chipmaker’s reins?

Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang is facing potential removal by the company's board following reports of extramarital affairs. According to Business Insider, the board was already planning an investigation into Huang and is now preparing to remove him. This follows a New York Times report citing five company sources that Huang had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare.

This is the second reported affair; the first involved Alice Huang, an executive for an Nvidia customer, whom the New York Times reported last month was believed by US intelligence officials to be passing information to Beijing.

9to5Mac reports that Huang's potential firing follows his public admission on November 8 regarding the affair with the woman suspected of being a Chinese spy. Following that admission, Nvidia's shares dropped 5% and the board opened an independent investigation. 9to5Mac notes that Apple’s chief hardware officer Johny Srouji has been listed as a potential replacement, though the outlet describes this as unlikely.

The company's 10-person board, which includes Stephen Neal, Tench Coxe, and John Dabiri, has met to discuss the CEO's fate, according to Techmeme. SCMP Business and SCMP Tech describe Huang as a leader synonymous with the company, noting he is credited with transforming Nvidia from a niche graphics-chip designer into a US$4 trillion powerhouse over three decades.

Brief written by urgent.news from SCMP Business, SCMP Tech, Business Insider, 9to5Mac, Techmeme — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.