Update: On Thursday morning, Nvidia said Jensen Huang has resigned as president and chief executive — and as a member of the board — effective immediately, with chief financial officer Colette Kress stepping in as interim chief executive, following the reports of the two alleged affairs. The allegations remain unconfirmed: neither Powell nor Nvidia has publicly confirmed the reported relationship.
Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, is the name at the centre of the biggest corporate scandal of the week, after The New York Times reported on November 11 that she was allegedly involved in a personal relationship with the chip giant’s chief executive, Jensen Huang. The report, which cited five people familiar with the company, has put Nvidia’s leadership under intense scrutiny and, according to The Wall Street Journal, prompted the board to meet to discuss Huang’s future.
The allegations remain unconfirmed: neither Powell nor Nvidia has publicly confirmed the reported relationship, and the Times noted it had not independently viewed the footage said to show the pair. Powell, 48, has spent more than 18 years at Nvidia and reports directly to Huang, 63.
What The New York Times reported
According to the Times, Powell and Huang were allegedly seen behaving affectionately at a hotel in San Jose, California, during Nvidia’s annual GTC developer conference in March 2026. The newspaper said Huang’s security team reportedly approached a bystander who had recorded the encounter. The report described the relationship as a second alleged affair for Huang, coming after he admitted to staff earlier in the week that he had been unfaithful to his wife, Lori, in a separate relationship with a woman accused of being a Chinese intelligence operative.
The Times also pointed out that, like many large companies, Nvidia has rules discouraging relationships between superiors and subordinates. Powell’s position makes the allegation particularly sensitive: she leads the company’s worldwide healthcare business and reports directly to the chief executive.
Who is Kimberly Powell?
Powell joined Nvidia in May 2008, according to her LinkedIn profile and Nvidia’s own biography, initially to establish the company’s graphics processors as accelerator platforms for medical imaging instruments. Since late 2017 she has served as vice president and general manager of healthcare, overseeing Nvidia’s global push into biology, pharmaceuticals and clinical medicine.
Within the industry she has been the public face of Nvidia’s healthcare ambitions, speaking at conferences and in interviews about AI’s potential to transform drug discovery and patient care. In January 2025 she fronted announcements of new partnerships with major healthcare players.
Board meets as shares slide
The Journal reported late on Wednesday that Nvidia’s board was preparing to discuss Huang’s future as chief executive, after an independent investigation was opened into the earlier affair allegations. Nvidia shares fell about 3 percent in extended trading after the Powell report emerged.
For now, Powell remains in her role and the company has not commented on the specific allegations. What happens next depends on the board’s process and on whether Huang or Powell address the claims directly. ReportRig has been tracking Nvidia’s turbulent November, including Nvidia’s subpoena deadline as shares sink and the shareholder suit over Huang’s alleged spy links.
