Who is Kimberly Powell? Nvidia exec linked to Jensen Huang drama - USA Today

Ousted Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang allegedly had an extramarital relationship with a fellow company executive, according to a new report that emerged one day before his resignation.

The New York Times reported on Nov. 11 that Huang had an affair with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of health care. The report added another twist to a tumultuous stretch for the chip giant and its longtime leader.

Days earlier, Huang acknowledged being "unfaithful" to his wife as Nvidia investigated whether he had been the target of a foreign espionage operation connected to a separate relationship with businesswoman Alice Huang. Jensen Huang and Alice Huang are not related.

Nvidia confirmed Huang's resignation on Nov. 12, days after the espionage report and one day after The New York Times reported his alleged relationship with Powell.

"The Board and the company thank Jensen for his immeasurable contributions to the company and the industry," Nvidia said in a news release announcing his resignation.

USA TODAY has reached out to Nvidia and Powell for comment on the alleged relationship.

Here's what to know about Kimberly Powell.

Powell, 47, first joined Nvidia in 2008, according to her company bio. She has been the company's vice president of health care since 2017, according to her LinkedIn.

"She is responsible for the company’s worldwide healthcare business, including hardware and software platforms for accelerated computing, AI, and visualization that power the ecosystem of medical imaging, life sciences, drug discovery, and healthcare analytics," her bio says.

Before joining Nvidia, Powell worked at a medical device start-up in the Boston area. When she started at Nvidia, the company had between 1,500-2000 employees, she said in an August interview on the "Lifers" podcast. Now, Nvidia has more than 42,000 employees in 38 countries.

Powell was originally scheduled to speak at the Milken Institute's Future of Health Summit in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 11-13, but she is no longer on the list of speakers.

Powell said during an interview this month on the "DGTL Voices" podcast that she grew up in Rhode Island with three older brothers and an engineer father.

"It's just a wholesome place. And you know, get on your bike, ride around town, come home when it's dark," Powell said of growing up there.

She said she graduated from Northeastern University in 2001 with a degree in electrical and computer engineering.

Powell also said she has lived in California for the past 15 years and offered a glimpse into her family life there.

"We got really lucky here in California, found a neighborhood where my kids are out, got a lot of autonomy and freedom, and I feel like I've gone back in time a little bit," she said.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on Instagram @bymelinakhan and TikTok @melina.khan2.