SANTA CLARA (The Thursday Times) — Jensen Huang has been discussing a possible return as Nvidia’s chief executive with allies, according to a report citing people familiar with the matter, days after he resigned amid scrutiny over his personal conduct. Neither Huang nor Nvidia has publicly confirmed the discussions, and The Thursday Times could not independently verify them.
The report said Huang has raised the idea with confidants while several Silicon Valley figures lobby for his comeback. One ally was quoted as saying they were assembling a “war room” of industry executives to press for his return, with Huang’s support, and would seek backing from the White House.
Pressure on the board
Two major shareholders, Altimeter Capital’s Brad Gerstner and Atreides Management’s Gavin Baker, wrote to the board in a letter posted on X, urging a “slow, measured, and deliberate” approach to choosing Nvidia’s next leader. That process, they said, should include “the potential return of Jensen Huang”.
A petition calling for his reinstatement has passed 130,000 signatures, and Tesla and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk has said he signed it, warning that Nvidia could lose critical deals without Huang. Separately, an internal post by a longtime Nvidia engineer urging the board to weigh employee sentiment has drawn thousands of comments, several of them asking for a way to bring Huang back, according to reports. The company has about 42,000 employees.
Washington pushes the other way
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a television interview on Sunday that Nvidia needs a “dramatic shakeup” and should look outside the company for new leadership, after accusations that it facilitated sales of advanced AI chips to Chinese entities. He has also reportedly asked the board to explain within 10 days whether Nvidia pushed “seemingly illicit” chip sales to China.
Where the company stands
Huang stepped down as Nvidia’s president, chief executive, and board member. Chief financial officer Colette Kress is interim chief executive. The board said it is selecting a search firm and has not formally engaged any candidate. “Any speculation regarding individual candidates, whether internal or external, is premature,” it said in a statement. Reports have said the board approached Arm chief executive Rene Haas, though there is no guarantee he would be offered the job or accept it.
Huang does not hold a controlling stake in Nvidia, so the decision rests with the board. He has agreed to testify before Congress.
