Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's succession plan goes viral amid reports of board looking to push him out

Jensen Huang has spent more than three decades building Nvidia into one of the world's most powerful technology companies. But a recent interview in which the CEO spoke about his eventual successor is now getting unexpected attention, as reports suggest that the company's board could be considering a future without him.

In an interview with Bloomberg's Emily Chang, filmed on October 14, Huang was asked how he looks at the question of succession and the enormous responsibility that comes with running Nvidia. His answer offered an interesting glimpse into how he sees the company's future leadership.“I hope the company’s next CEO is already at Nvidia,” Huang said.

However, he was not exactly preparing to step aside. “But looking 20 years ahead, I hope I’m still healthy and can stay here, earning my keep on my own merits,” he added.Huang also spoke about the demands of his position, saying that running a company of Nvidia's size requires constant attention and personal accountability.“As CEO, you have to keep your mind as flexible as possible. You have to hold yourself accountable and keep the initiative in your own hands.

This job is incredibly stressful, and it should be. It’s definitely not an easy gig.

Don’t take anything for granted,” he said. Those remarks are now being viewed in a very different light.

Reports of a possible leadership change have emerged after a controversy involving Huang's personal relationships and allegations of Chinese intelligence links.According to reports, Nvidia's board met on Wednesday to discuss Huang's future as CEO. The controversy centres on Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman with whom the Nvidia chief has acknowledged having a romantic relationship.

US intelligence officials reportedly suspect that she was recruited by Beijing to influence him. Huang has denied knowing about any alleged links between her and the Chinese government.

The board had earlier brought in law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to investigate the relationship. It had also asked Huang to continue leading the company while the investigation was underway.

The situation took another turn after a New York Times report alleged that Huang had a separate extramarital relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's president of healthcare. The report claimed that the two were seen together at a hotel during a company conference in March.Nvidia faces questions over leadershipThe uncertainty around Huang's position has already started affecting investor sentiment.

Nvidia shares dropped more than 8% in after-hours trading after the Wall Street Journal reported that the company was preparing to remove its CEO. If the losses continue, the company could see around $685 billion wiped off its market value.Replacing Huang would not be a straightforward decision.

He co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and has remained its central figure as the company moved from making graphics processors to supplying the computing power behind the global AI boom.Nvidia's chips are used by companies such as OpenAI, Google and Anthropic to train and run their AI models. With a market valuation exceeding $4 trillion, the company has become a critical part of the infrastructure supporting the industry's growth.There is also the question of who could take over.

Huang has no clearly established successor, and his management style has kept him closely involved in several parts of the business. Dozens of executives report directly to him, giving the CEO an unusually large span of control.Huang also owns more than 870 million Nvidia shares, equivalent to roughly 3.6 percent of the company.

Under Nvidia's bylaws, however, the board can remove him with or without cause through a majority vote.- Ends