Trump had urged Jensen Huang to fight for his job, New York Times reports

Jensen Huang, the founder of Nvidia, has stepped down as executive chairman following an affair scandal involving both a Chinese businesswoman suspected of espionage for Beijing and a company director under his supervision, according to Reuters. The revelations about Huang's improper conduct have led to his departure from the world's largest microprocessor manufacturer, despite his founding and 33-year leadership of the company.

Nvidia's code of conduct advises against relationships among employees to avoid conflicts of interest, and the company pledges to investigate all personal relationships deemed inappropriate. Huang, married to Lori Huang for over four decades, has two children with her, Spencer and Madison. The scandal began two weeks ago when The New York Times reported Huang had a two-year romantic relationship with Alice Huang, the director of Megaspeed, an entity investigated for participating in a chip smuggling ring to China.

The U.S. imposed a technology embargo on Beijing, preventing the sale of Nvidia's latest-generation products to curb its dominance in the artificial intelligence (AI) race. The scandal has the potential to shake the volatile AI intelligence ecosystem, where Nvidia is a cornerstone, supplying semiconductors to leading sector laboratories and funding providers and clients in a perilous web of cross-interests.

Huang also had an intimate relationship with Nvidia's vice president of medical affairs, Kimberly Powell, who often accompanied her on international tours to attend developer conferences and client meetings. Powell was under Huang's direct supervision. A video shows the two in a affectionate mood at a San Jose (California) hotel after participating in a conference. Reuters now reveals a third relationship with another employee, though not disclosing her identity.