Nvidia Board Weighs Removing CEO Jensen Huang
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Nvidia’s board was reported to be preparing to weigh CEO Jensen Huang’s future, and Binance’s NVDAUSDT perpetual futures fell more than 8% below the US cash close late on Wednesday, after Nasdaq had already shut, according to Cryptopotato. The contract had ended the US session at an index level of 100 against a close of about $173.73 per share, then slid to 92.6, a drop of roughly 8.8%.
How the reports diverge on the board’s stance
The accounts differ on where Nvidia’s board stands. Cryptopotato, citing the New York Times and Bloomberg, reported that the board was preparing to remove Huang, had engaged an outside firm to identify possible replacements and was considering an interim CEO. crypto.news, citing Reuters, said the board was preparing to consider his future.
Decrypt, in a report published Monday, said the board had backed Huang and expressed confidence in his leadership while the investigation runs. Those positions are not identical, and no final decision has been announced.
The scrutiny follows allegations involving two extramarital relationships. crypto.news reported that one involved Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of health care; Cryptopotato described the other as involving a woman it identified as Alice Huang, an alleged Chinese spy. Both outlets reported that Huang, 63, apologized to employees and pledged to cooperate. China has denied the espionage allegations, according to crypto.news.
Cryptopotato also reported that shareholder Mark Kistenmacher filed a lawsuit claiming Nvidia and Huang misled investors about the latter’s relationship with the alleged Chinese operative, described as a former executive of Megaspeed International, a company that had reportedly bought more than $4.8 billion of Nvidia chips over the past two years.
Why it matters
Stock-linked derivatives and tokenized equities have pulled equity-market events directly onto crypto venues, so a boardroom story at a chipmaker can move positions that trade around the clock. That matters well beyond Nvidia: Bitcoin and AI-linked tokens such as Bittensor, Render and FET could face pressure if the leadership uncertainty drags on technology stocks, crypto.news reported, noting that bitcoin fell more than 6% toward $75,000 on November 5 after the Nasdaq Composite declined 5.5%.
Not everyone favours a change. The Kobeissi Letter argued against removal, saying there is no clear replacement for Huang and that a departure would be a net negative for Nvidia, its shareholders and the AI buildout, per Cryptopotato. Decrypt quoted Dan Ives of Yorkville Ives & Co. describing Huang as not replaceable, and Chris Weston of Pepperstone told Reuters he did not expect a resignation.
What to watch
The clearest near-term marker is Nvidia’s earnings report on November 17, when investors will weigh the business against the leadership question. Beyond that, the board has not disclosed when its independent investigation will conclude, and crypto.news reported that Republican leaders of three House committees requested a closed-door briefing with Huang.
Sources: CryptoPotato, crypto.news, Decrypt
