Jensen Huang discusses Nvidia comeback with allies, Financial Times reports

Nvidia’s leadership transition now faces a reported comeback effort involving Jensen Huang himself. The Financial Times reported on November 15 that Huang had discussed returning as chief executive with allies, days after stepping down. The discussions concern a possible return, not a confirmed reinstatement, as supporters press directors to reverse his departure.

A lobbying effort takes shape

The FT cited multiple anonymous sources, including one who said Huang’s allies were assembling a “war room” to lobby for his return, according to Forbes’ account of the report. That describes an effort to persuade Nvidia’s board, rather than a decision by directors to bring him back.

A public appeal gives the campaign recognizable names. Forbes reported that Elon Musk, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, Y Combinator president and CEO Garry Tan, and YouTube co-founder Steve Chen signed an open letter to Nvidia’s board over the weekend. Some Nvidia employees and shareholders also signed.

The letter asks directors to reinstate Huang while “an independent investigation establishes the facts,” arguing for “due process, not mob justice.” Supporters want him back during the investigation, rather than waiting for its findings before seeking reinstatement.

The departure behind the campaign

Huang stepped down on Thursday, November 12, after acknowledging he had been unfaithful to his wife. Reports linked him to a woman alleged to have ties to Chinese intelligence. WIRED said the board announced his resignation after an allegation of another affair, this one involving a direct report. The alleged intelligence ties remain unconfirmed.

Forbes also recounted Reuters reporting alleging affairs with two Nvidia employees. Even within Huang’s circle, the workplace allegations complicate the case for reinstatement: one ally told the FT that affairs with employees could be a “fireable offence.”

In his earlier email to employees, Huang said there was “no excuse” for being unfaithful. As of WIRED’s November 12 report, he had not commented on the subsequent allegations involving employees. The direct report identified in the allegations had not commented either.

Employees had already asked for a voice

Resistance to Huang’s departure surfaced before the reported comeback effort. WIRED reported on November 12 that a longtime engineer had submitted a suggestion-box post before Huang resigned. It urged directors to weigh employee sentiment, share the investigation’s findings and formally ask staff whether Huang should remain CEO.

The post attracted more than 1,600 comments, with several asking directors to find a way to bring him back. That figure counts comments, not individual employees backing reinstatement. Another employee sent a companywide email demanding transparency about Huang’s departure and explaining their support in personal terms:

Not because I believe any person is infallible, but because I refuse to believe that standing for fairness must mean standing at a distance from someone whose leadership has meant so much to us.

An Nvidia employee, in a companywide email reviewed by WIRED

Support also appeared outside internal channels. WIRED identified about two dozen employees posting on LinkedIn in Huang’s favor in the hours after his resignation. It could not identify employee posts supporting his departure. Those observations describe visible reactions, not a companywide vote on whether he should return.

One employee who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly told WIRED they feared Nvidia would eventually suffer without its founder. The employee described support for reinstatement as widespread—a personal assessment, rather than a measured tally—and argued that Huang’s leadership was central to the company’s identity.

WIRED reported that many employees had expected the board’s investigation to conclude before major changes. Instead, Huang left just as the inquiry had begun. Directors have installed Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO and named Harvey Jones board chair—the leadership arrangement the reinstatement campaign is now seeking to change.