Silicon Valley Backs Huang as Nvidia Faces Leadership Fallout
WIRED reports that Silicon Valley figures continued supporting Jensen Huang after his resignation from Nvidia, while the company’s roughly 60,000 employees were described as unusually loyal and initially expecting a board investigation rather than his departure. Nvidia’s board has not formally accused Huang of wrongdoing, says it does not believe he compromised secrets, and hired Wachtell Lipton to investigate. The report also notes concern that instability at Nvidia could increase systemic risk for the AI industry, while analysts remain divided over the extent of the impact.
The response from employees, investors, and industry leaders highlights the governance and AI-market significance of Nvidia’s leadership transition, even as the personal allegations remain disputed.
News of Jensen Huang’s affair with an alleged asset of China’s Ministry of State Security was first met with a muted response in Silicon Valley—including inside Nvidia itself. Huang’s resignation, after news of two other alleged romantic relationships with Nvidia staffers, has left both the company and the broader AI industry stunned.
As revelations about Huang’s initial affair came out earlier this week, rank-and-file Nvidia employees at first pursued business as usual, according to two current and three former employees at the chipmaker, speaking anonymously to protect relationships at the company. They trusted the board to investigate and act accordingly, but few workers thought Huang would actually leave.
Nvidia’s roughly 60,000 employees are loyal to the point that its global turnover rate is reportedly among the lowest in tech. Workers say they have heard it called having “green in your blood” or being “green-pilled” or on “team green,” referring to the company’s signature color. Huang was the company’s soul and the founder who stuck with it through challenges for 33 years. Employees appreciated that he kept layoffs rare and red tape sparing.
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