Two of the technology industry’s best-known chief executives saw very different outcomes on the same day. Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang resigned as CEO on Thursday, while AMD chief Lisa Su was named Yahoo Finance’s 2026 CEO of the Year.
Nvidia said Huang has left his roles as president, CEO and board member, effective immediately. Under his leadership, the company grew into a $4 trillion business that powered the AI boom.
His exit follows reports of affairs with a suspected Chinese intelligence asset and with an Nvidia executive who reports to him. Huang issued a statement admitting to the first of the two alleged affairs and apologized to his family and Nvidia employees. The allegation involving the second relationship has not been confirmed by Huang.
Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress, who joined Nvidia in September 2013, will serve as interim CEO and remain CFO until a permanent successor is named. The board is considering both internal and external candidates, and it named Harvey Jones as its first-ever chair.
Jones said the board has full confidence in Kress and the leadership team, and expects operations, customer commitments and the product roadmap to continue without interruption. The leadership change comes with quarterly earnings due next week. Nvidia shares dropped on the day of the announcement.
Yahoo Finance gave Su its CEO of the Year title on Nov. 12, citing her leadership of AMD for more than a decade. Su became AMD’s CEO in 2014, when the company was in serious difficulty.
AMD shares have risen 158% this year, and third-quarter revenue grew 45% to a record $13.38 billion. In September, AMD became the first woman-led company to reach a $1 trillion market value.
Analysts say Nvidia’s leadership transition adds uncertainty for investors just as AMD gains momentum in AI chips. One analyst said Kress is highly capable and respected, but questions remain about how Nvidia’s innovation will evolve without Huang.