Jensen Huang is already under investigation for an affair with a Chinese businesswoman that U.S. intelligence determined was a spy. Now there is another woman.
Huang, the 63-year-old leader of Nvidia, also had an extramarital relationship with an executive who reports directly to him, according to five former company employees. The relationship was with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s 48-year-old vice president of health care.
The relationship has not been previously reported.
The Video
Two of the people who spoke to The New York Times said Huang and Powell were captured on video being affectionate at a San Jose hotel during an Nvidia conference in March. The Times has not seen the video.
Both Huang and Powell are married to other people.
The Policy
Nvidia’s code of conduct tells employees to “avoid situations where our actions create conflict,” including “personal relationships.” The company states that it “promptly investigates reports of misconduct.” Many corporations have policies against managers having relationships with subordinates.
Huang appears to have violated his own company’s rules. Powell reports to him. He is her boss. That is the definition of a conflict of interest.
The Bigger Scandal
This is not Huang’s first affair. Last month, The Times reported that a Chinese executive he had become close to had been identified by U.S. officials as a Chinese intelligence asset. Huang later acknowledged the affair.
Nvidia’s board has opened an investigation into that matter, led by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Three House Republican committee chairs have asked Huang to appear for a closed-door briefing on his interactions with the woman, who goes by Alice Huang.
China has meanwhile, denied the espionage claims.
The Bottom Line
Jensen Huang had an extramarital relationship with Kimberly Powell, a Nvidia vice president who reports to him. The relationship was captured on video at a company conference in March. Both are married to other people. It follows his affair with a woman accused of spying for China. Nvidia’s board is investigating.
My Opinion
Jensen Huang built the most important company in the world. Then he started sleeping with his employees and a woman accused of spying for China.
One affair could be a mistake. Two is a pattern. And this pattern has cost Nvidia, its shareholders, and the American people. The Chinese spy affair is under investigation. The Powell affair is a violation of his own company’s code of conduct. Both are now public. Both are damaging.
Huang is not a victim. He is a CEO who ran his company like a personal fiefdom. He made his own rules, then broke them. And Nvidia’s board, which should have held him accountable years ago, is only now opening an investigation.
This is what happens when a single man accumulates too much power. Huang is a genius. He built something extraordinary. But genius is not an excuse for recklessness. And recklessness is not a virtue in a CEO.
Nvidia and its shareholders deserve better. And Huang deserves to face the consequences of his choices.
