'I'm A Piece Of Sh*t, I Don’t Care': Inside Jensen Huang's Final Hours At Nvidia As 1,600 Employees Back His Return - Republic World

Nvidia co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang's dramatic exit from the company he built over 33 years reportedly followed weeks of mounting pressure over allegations of extramarital affairs and his alleged links to a Chinese businesswoman suspected of having connections with Beijing's intelligence network.

A detailed account of Huang's final days, reported by US media, has revealed how the billionaire technology executive's usually commanding personality gave way to exhaustion and resignation as the controversy intensified. Huang, who was known for closely monitoring almost every aspect of Nvidia's operations, reportedly began responding to colleagues with phrases such as "whatever" and "I don't care".

According to people familiar with the situation cited in the report, Huang also became deeply critical of himself, describing himself as a "piece of sh*t" while dealing with the fallout.

His departure marks a dramatic turn for one of the most influential figures in the global artificial intelligence industry. Huang had transformed Nvidia from a graphics processing unit manufacturer into a multitrillion-dollar technology powerhouse whose chips have become central to the worldwide AI boom.

Huang's final days at Nvidia reportedly looked very different from his usual leadership style. Known for his extraordinary attention to detail, the CEO would routinely monitor developments across the company, including chip architecture and employee compensation.

Nvidia's organisational structure also reflected his hands-on approach. Around 60 executives reportedly reported directly to Huang, an unusually large number for a company of its scale.

Employees were required to submit emails outlining their five most important priorities, which Huang personally monitored to ensure that teams were working on what he considered essential.

He was also known to respond to messages almost immediately, regardless of the time of day. However, as the allegations against him mounted, his response times reportedly increased and his involvement in routine company matters appeared to diminish.

According to people familiar with his conversations, the once-energetic executive increasingly displayed a sense of resignation. His reported remarks, including "whatever" and "I don't care", reflected a striking change in demeanour during the final phase of the controversy.

Jensen Huang might have resigned as Nvidia's CEO due to allegations surrounding his relationship with suspected Chinese spy Alice Huang, yet numerous employees at the chip company seemingly are not prepared for his departure.

An internal message encouraging the company’s board to take employee feelings into account prior to determining his future has garnered over 1,600 comments, with many employees advocating for the reinstatement of the individual who transformed Nvidia into one of the globe’s most valuable firms.

The remarks, indicate the discomfort felt by some staff members after Huang’s sudden departure on Thursday following over thirty years at the firm he helped establish. Many have contended that his impact on Nvidia must be recognized, while others have raised concerns about his decision to resign before the board's investigation into the allegations was completed.

The internal message was sent by a veteran Nvidia engineer prior to Huang's departure. It surfaced in the company's suggestion box and encouraged the board to consider employees' opinions prior to reaching any decision. Since that time, it has received over 1,600 comments, a lot of which urge the board to seek a way to bring Huang back.

The controversy initially centred on Jensen Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman suspected by US authorities of having links to Chinese intelligence.

When reports about their association emerged in late October, the Nvidia board was reportedly reluctant to take immediate action. Several directors had longstanding business relationships with Huang, while others were associated with the company's investors and partners.

Huang had also denied allegations of infidelity when questioned internally. In an interview with Bloomberg towards the end of his tenure, he defended his association with Alice Huang, describing their interactions as normal professional dealings with Chinese customers and business executives.

"It was all completely normal and not unusual," he had said.

However, the situation became more complicated on November 6, when the Financial Times published a report citing US officials who described the relationship as romantic.

Following the report, Nvidia General Counsel Tim Teter reportedly visited Huang at his residence to confront him about the allegations. Huang subsequently admitted to the relationship, according to people familiar with the conversation cited by Bloomberg.

Teter then informed the board that the allegations could no longer be ignored and that the company needed to address the matter formally.

Nvidia announced an investigation into the allegations, appointing prominent law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to lead the inquiry.

On November 8, Huang reportedly sent an email to Nvidia employees acknowledging his infidelity, apologising to his family and pledging to cooperate fully with the board's investigation.

The admission marked a significant shift from his earlier denials and placed the company's leadership under greater pressure to respond.

Despite the controversy, Huang initially appeared determined to retain his position. The board, which had longstanding associations with the Nvidia co-founder, was also reportedly hesitant to take an immediate decision on his future.

However, the situation changed after another allegation emerged.

The controversy escalated further on November 11, when The New York Times reported that Huang had allegedly been involved in another extramarital relationship, this time with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice-president of healthcare.

The fresh allegation increased the pressure on Nvidia's leadership and complicated the company's efforts to contain the controversy.

Following the report, Nvidia directors assembled for a remote meeting on Wednesday, November 11. The discussions reportedly continued late into the night as the board considered Huang's position and the implications of the mounting allegations.

According to Bloomberg's account, the board ultimately concluded that Huang could no longer continue as chief executive.

His usual confidence had reportedly disappeared by this stage, with people familiar with the situation describing him as having surrendered after weeks of attempting to fight for his position.

Huang eventually resigned, bringing an end to his 33-year tenure at the company he co-founded.

The developments also attracted attention in Washington, with US President Donald Trump reportedly intervening as the controversy threatened to end Huang's leadership at Nvidia.

According to a report by The New York Times, Trump called Huang on Tuesday, November 10, and urged him to fight to retain his position.

The intervention, however, did not change the eventual outcome. Huang resigned following the board's deliberations, leaving without a formal role at the company he had helped build.

The controversy has also raised questions about Nvidia's business relationships, corporate governance and the national security implications of its connections involving China.