Jensen Huang may have stepped down as Nvidia CEO, but a large part of the company’s workforce isn’t ready to move on. An internal suggestion box post urging Nvidia’s board to weigh employee sentiment before deciding Huang’s future has drawn more than 1,600 comments, with most of them backing his return to the top job, according to internal correspondence reviewed by Wired.The post was written by a longtime Nvidia engineer before Huang resigned. It has since become a rallying point for staff who want the 63-year-old cofounder reinstated, despite the multiple reported extramarital affairs that led to his abrupt exit. “If you believe in the mission, bring back THE boss,” wrote one anonymous commenter. Another added, “We are all humans and can make mistakes. Jensen did so many good things and he needs a second chance.“
Nvidia employee’s companywide email backs Jensen Huang
The support hasn’t stayed inside the suggestion box. One employee sent an email to the entire company demanding transparency into Huang’s exit. “I stand by Jensen,” the staffer wrote. “Not because I believe any person is infallible, but because I refuse to believe that standing for fairness must mean standing at a distance from someone whose leadership has meant so much to us.”The same email went a step further: “If America fails the man who helped build its future, then this world does not deserve Jensen Huang.”The employee behind the email couldn’t be reached for comment, while the engineer who wrote the suggestion box post declined to comment. Nvidia and its new board chair, Harvey Jones, did not immediately respond to Wired’s requests for comment.
Why Jensen Huang resigned as Nvidia CEO
Huang, who had led Nvidia since its founding in 1993, wrote to employees on Sunday admitting he had been “unfaithful to [his] wife” and that there was “no excuse.” The email followed reports of an affair with a suspected Chinese intelligence asset.The board announced his resignation on Thursday morning, after reports of an alleged second affair, this time with a direct report. That employee has not commented on the matter. Reuters has since reported an alleged affair with yet another Nvidia employee. Huang hasn’t said anything about these reports since his Sunday email.The fallout has been heavy. Nvidia has lost about $1 trillion in market value since the allegations surfaced. US lawmakers and the FBI have opened investigations, and the episode has raised the prospect of fresh export controls on chips. The board, made up largely of early Nvidia investors and Huang’s longtime confidants, has named chief financial officer Colette Kress as interim CEO. Former Synopsys CEO Harvey Jones is the new chair.
Nvidia staff say the company needs its founder
Work inside Nvidia has carried on as usual this week, but the resignation left many employees stunned. Within hours, about two dozen staffers posted on LinkedIn in support of Huang, with one calling their faith in his leadership unwavering. Over the same period, Wired couldn’t find a single post from an Nvidia employee supporting his exit.One employee, who has been at the company for a couple of years and wasn’t authorised to speak publicly, told Wired the push for Huang’s reinstatement is widespread. They worry Nvidia will suffer in the long run without its founder in charge and say the board must bring him back. “Nvidia is Nvidia because of Jensen,” the employee said.Much of the frustration comes down to timing. Many employees expected the board’s investigation to wrap up before any big changes were made. The suggestion box post had asked the board to share its findings with staff and formally gather their views “about Jensen’s continuing as our CEO.”That never happened. Huang stepped down just as the inquiry had begun, and staff are still looking for answers on why he left before it was done.
