New York: Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, the world’s largest AI chipmaker, has reportedly resigned from his position following allegations of links with a Chinese intelligence operative. The company’s chief financial officer and executive vice-president, Colette Kress, has reportedly been appointed interim CEO.
A report published by The New York Times on October 29 allegedly revealed close meetings between Huang and a Chinese agent identified as Alice.
According to the report, Alice, a former executive at Singapore-based company Megaspeed, was allegedly working for China’s intelligence agency. The controversy reportedly led to a decline of around ₹27 lakh crore in the company’s market valuation.
Who is Colette Kress?
Kress, who currently serves as Nvidia’s chief financial officer, joined the company in 2013. Before moving to Nvidia, she worked at Cisco and Microsoft.
Before appointing her as CFO, Huang reportedly interviewed 22 candidates. At the time, Kress’s younger son was an avid video game enthusiast and encouraged his mother to join Nvidia.
During her tenure as CFO, Kress had expressed concerns about the financial impact of US restrictions on Nvidia’s chip sales to China. She had argued that the restrictions were not only costing Nvidia sales but could also create opportunities for Chinese chipmakers to strengthen their position.
According to the company’s latest annual report, Kress held approximately 4.44 million shares in Nvidia, valued at around ₹7,334 crore at the time.
