Nvidia Corp. directors are preparing to remove Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang following fresh reports of an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate, busan.com reported.
The additional relationship involves Kimberly Powell, a 48-year-old vice president of healthcare at Nvidia, according to the New York Times. Both Huang and Powell are married.
Witnesses observed Huang and Powell expressing affection inside a hotel near the company’s annual developer conference in San Jose, California, in March, according to three people familiar with the event. A bystander recorded the scene on a mobile phone, prompting Huang’s security team to isolate the witness and secure a signed non-disclosure agreement.
When reached by telephone, Huang declined to answer questions about Powell.
Nvidia did not provide an official statement to the newspaper, and Powell did not immediately respond to interview requests. The company’s code of conduct instructs employees to avoid situations involving conflicts of interest, including personal relationships, and mandates immediate investigations into workplace misconduct reports.
Powell joined Nvidia in 2008 and oversees healthcare programs integrating chip technology into medical imaging equipment. She was promoted to senior director of artificial intelligence business development in 2016 before advancing to healthcare vice president in late 2017.
Nvidia shares climbed 2.9% to close at $173.73 on the New York Stock Exchange during regular trading. Following the board meeting reports, the stock dropped 8.1% to $159.59 in after-hours trading.
Directors have not publicly announced a final resolution from the scheduled session regarding Huang’s tenure. It remains unclear whether the chief executive will step down voluntarily or face a formal termination vote by the board.
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