Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is facing one of the most turbulent periods of his three-decade tenure at the AI chip giant, but he appears to have found public support from one of Silicon Valley’s most influential figures — Elon Musk.
Amid reports that Nvidia’s board is considering Huang’s future as chief executive, an account on X urged Musk to hire the Nvidia co-founder.
“Elon please hire Jensen,” the post said.
Musk responded simply: “That would be an honor.”
The exchange does not amount to a formal job offer, and there is no indication that Musk and Huang have discussed employment. But it represents another public show of support from the Tesla and SpaceX chief as Huang faces scrutiny over his personal conduct and questions surrounding an alleged foreign-intelligence operation.
Nvidia Board Reportedly Considering Huang’s Future
Reuters reported that Nvidia’s board was meeting to decide whether Huang should remain CEO after reports of two extramarital relationships intensified scrutiny of his leadership.
Bloomberg separately reported that the board has been working with an outside firm to identify potential replacements and is considering appointing an interim chief while searching for a permanent successor.
Nvidia has not publicly announced that Huang has been removed.
Huang, 63, co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and has led the company throughout its transformation into the dominant supplier of chips powering the global artificial-intelligence boom. His potential departure would leave the company without an obvious successor.
Huang Admitted Being Unfaithful to His Wife
The controversy escalated after Huang sent a message to Nvidia employees on November 8 acknowledging that he had been unfaithful to his wife.
“I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry,” Huang wrote.
He accepted responsibility for his conduct and said he would cooperate fully with an independent investigation launched by Nvidia’s board.
Importantly, Huang did not identify the person involved in the affair in his message.
Relationship With Alice Huang Draws National-Security Scrutiny
Huang’s apology came after reports linked him romantically to Alice Huang, an unrelated Chinese businesswoman who previously worked with Singapore-based technology company Megaspeed.
The New York Times reported that US authorities had investigated Alice Huang and concluded that she was a Chinese intelligence asset.
Reuters has said it has not independently verified that intelligence assessment, while China’s foreign ministry has rejected the espionage allegations as groundless.
Huang has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing.
Nvidia has said its board has no reason at present to believe company secrets or US national security were compromised, but independent directors have launched a review and hired outside legal counsel.
Musk Had Already Publicly Backed Huang
Musk’s latest response was not his first public expression of support.
After Huang acknowledged his infidelity, Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire wrote on X that the Nvidia CEO had done something “incredibly dumb” but suggested there had been no malicious intent.
Maguire described Huang as one of the leading entrepreneurs of his generation and argued that he remained important to American AI leadership.
Musk responded: “I agree.”
His latest “That would be an honor” response therefore adds to a series of public comments signalling support for Huang as pressure on Nvidia’s leadership increases.
Musk and Huang Have a Long History
Musk and Huang’s business relationship stretches back years.
In 2016, while Musk was still involved with OpenAI, the organisation became the first recipient of Nvidia’s DGX-1 AI supercomputer.
Huang personally delivered the system to OpenAI’s San Francisco office.
Since then, Nvidia’s GPUs have become critical to the AI infrastructure used across the technology industry, including businesses connected to Musk.
The two executives have also repeatedly spoken positively about each other’s technological ambitions.
Second Relationship Alleged With Nvidia Executive
The controversy widened further on Wednesday when the New York Times reported that Huang had also had an extramarital relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, who reports to him.
The Times cited five people who had worked at Nvidia.
According to the report, Huang and Powell were seen behaving affectionately at a San Jose hotel during Nvidia’s GTC conference in March. A bystander allegedly recorded the interaction, and Huang’s security personnel subsequently approached that person about a nondisclosure agreement, according to people briefed on the incident.
Neither Nvidia nor Powell immediately commented on the allegations. When contacted by the Times and asked about Powell, Huang reportedly declined to discuss the matter.
Reuters said it had not independently verified the report concerning Powell.
Trump Also Voices Support for Huang
US President Donald Trump has also publicly defended Huang amid the controversy.
Trump described the Nvidia CEO as an “honorable guy” who had “done an amazing job for our country.”
After later speaking directly with Huang, Trump said the Nvidia chief told him he had no idea the woman linked to him was allegedly involved in espionage.
“I really believe him,” Trump said.
Trump also said the FBI was examining the matter.
Separately, the New York Times has reported that Trump had previously been briefed about intelligence concerns involving Huang and Alice Huang. That reporting differs from some of Trump’s earlier public comments about when he became aware of the allegations.
Nvidia Faces Congressional Scrutiny
The affair has expanded beyond a corporate governance issue because of Nvidia’s central role in the US-China technology rivalry.
US lawmakers have sought answers about Huang’s reported relationship with Alice Huang and the potential implications for restricted Nvidia chip shipments to China.
Reuters reported that Huang could face a congressional subpoena if he does not voluntarily respond to requests for a closed-door briefing.
The issue comes as Washington continues to debate how tightly it should restrict China’s access to advanced AI chips.
Nvidia Shares Hit by Leadership Uncertainty
The uncertainty surrounding Huang has also rattled investors.
Nvidia shares fell sharply after reports emerged that the board was considering his removal, with Reuters reporting an after-hours decline of more than 8% following the Wall Street Journal report.
Investors are particularly sensitive to Huang’s future because he has led Nvidia since its founding and remains closely associated with its technological strategy, products and corporate culture.
No Final Decision on Huang Yet
For now, Huang remains Nvidia’s CEO.
The company’s independent investigation into the national-security questions surrounding the reported Alice Huang relationship is continuing, while its board is separately weighing his leadership position.
The reported relationship with Kimberly Powell has added another corporate-governance dimension to the controversy, particularly because she is a senior Nvidia executive who reports to Huang.
Whether the board ultimately removes Huang remains unresolved.
Musk’s comments, meanwhile, make one thing clear: if Huang does leave the company he built, some of Silicon Valley’s biggest names are publicly signalling that they still see considerable value in the Nvidia founder.
