Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, is facing fresh controversy after allegations emerged that he had an affair with a female company executive, following earlier claims involving a woman accused of having ties to Chinese intelligence. The controversy is widening as questions arise over possible violations of Nvidia's internal ethics policies.
The New York Times reported on Nov. 12, citing five former Nvidia employees, that Huang had an affair with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare. Powell reports directly to Huang, and both are married.
According to the report, the two were spotted showing affection at a hotel near the venue of Nvidia's annual developer conference, GTC, held in San Jose, California, in March. One person at the scene reportedly filmed them with a cellphone. However, the New York Times said it had not independently viewed the footage.
There were also accounts that members of Huang's security team spotted the person filming and took the individual aside, where they proposed signing a nondisclosure agreement (NDA). The NYT reported this, citing three people who were briefed on the incident.
Powell joined Nvidia in 2008 and was promoted to senior director of AI business development in 2016 before becoming vice president of healthcare in late 2017.
She currently oversees efforts to apply Nvidia's semiconductor technology to the medical and education sectors, including medical imaging equipment. At the GTC conference in March, she also delivered a presentation on advances in AI applications in healthcare and life sciences.
The latest allegations have also raised questions about Nvidia's internal ethics policies. The company's code of conduct requires employees to avoid situations that could create conflicts of interest, including those involving personal relationships. It also states that the company will promptly investigate reports of misconduct.
When the New York Times contacted Huang by phone to ask about his relationship with Powell, he said, "I don't think you should be talking to me directly about this," before hanging up. Nvidia declined to comment, while Powell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Huang previously acknowledged having an affair with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman whom U.S. intelligence agencies have identified as a collaborator with Chinese intelligence. Nvidia's board launched an investigation into the matter this month, with U.S. law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz leading the probe.
Republican leaders of three major committees in the U.S. House of Representatives have also requested a closed-door briefing from Huang to explain the circumstances of his contacts with Alice Huang. The Chinese government has denied the allegations of espionage.
With allegations involving a company executive emerging on top of the controversy over alleged links to Chinese intelligence, scrutiny of Huang is expanding beyond his personal life to questions about executive ethics and internal controls at Nvidia.
in TECH
