Washington (United States): Elon Musk has backed a purported petition seeking to reinstate Jensen Huang as Nvidia CEO, days after the tech billionaire stepped down amid controversy over allegations of extramarital relationships and questions surrounding a woman suspected of having links to Chinese intelligence.
“A petition is underway to reinstate Jensen, and I’m signing it too,” the Tesla and SpaceX chief said in a reply to a user on X on Friday.
Musk’s endorsement adds to the growing public support for Huang following his resignation. US President Donald Trump has also expressed support for the former Nvidia chief.
Musk earlier expressed interest in working with Huang
Musk had previously indicated that he would be willing to work with Huang after a user suggested that he hire the Nvidia co-founder.
“That would be an honor,” Musk responded.
The latest endorsement comes as allegations surrounding Huang’s personal relationships continue to attract attention, with fresh revelations emerging about his alleged relationships with Nvidia employees and a Chinese businesswoman.
The controversy has taken a fresh turn following a Reuters report that Huang allegedly had an intimate relationship with a second Nvidia employee, citing two people familiar with the matter.
Earlier, The New York Times reported that Huang had an extramarital relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, who reported to him.
Citing five people who worked at the company, the newspaper reported that the two were captured on video behaving affectionately at a hotel in San Jose, California, during an Nvidia conference in March.
Powell joined Nvidia in 2008 and oversees programs focused on applying Nvidia’s chip technology to higher education and healthcare, particularly medical imaging devices, according to the company’s website.
How Chinese businesswoman became central to Huang controversy
The controversy initially intensified following reports of Huang’s alleged relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman associated with Singapore-based data company Megaspeed International, one of Nvidia’s major customers.
Some US intelligence officials suspect Alice Huang of having links to Chinese intelligence services, adding a national security dimension to the controversy.
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 apologized for violating her trust.
Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and led its transformation into one of the world’s leading suppliers of artificial intelligence chips. He became one of the most influential figures in the global AI industry.
The latest allegations have raised questions about his personal conduct and leadership at the technology giant. Musk’s public backing of the purported reinstatement petition has now added another dimension to the developments surrounding Huang’s reported departure.