‘Huang-gate’ deepens: Former Nvidia CEO reportedly had relationship with second employee

The controversy surrounding Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang has taken a fresh turn, with reports claiming that he had an intimate relationship with a second company employee. According to Reuters, the latest revelation adds to the growing scrutiny over Huang’s personal conduct and its potential implications for the technology giant.

Citing two people familiar with the matter, Reuters reported that Huang had a relationship with another Nvidia employee. The development comes after his resignation as CEO amid reports of two other alleged extramarital relationships that have attracted considerable attention.

The earlier reports involved Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman suspected by US intelligence officials of having links to Chinese intelligence services, and Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare.

According to The New York Times, which cited five people who had worked at Nvidia, Huang had an extramarital relationship with Powell, who reported directly to him. The newspaper also reported that the two were captured on video behaving affectionately at a hotel in San Jose, California, during an Nvidia conference in March.

Powell, 48, joined Nvidia in 2008 and oversees programmes that focus on applying the company's chip technology to higher education and healthcare, particularly medical imaging devices, according to Nvidia’s website.

The controversy first gained momentum following reports of Huang’s alleged relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman and executive associated with Singapore-based data company Megaspeed, one of Nvidia’s major customers. US intelligence officials reportedly suspect her of having links to Chinese intelligence services, bringing a national security dimension to the allegations.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Alice Huang was the woman referred to in a letter Jensen Huang sent to Nvidia employees. In the letter, he acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife and apologised for violating her trust.

Jensen Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and went on to transform it into one of the world's leading suppliers of artificial intelligence chips. His rise also made him one of the most influential figures in the global technology industry.

The latest report has added to questions surrounding Nvidia's leadership, workplace conduct and corporate governance, with the allegations continuing to draw attention following Huang's departure from the company's top post.

(With ANI inputs)