Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang reportedly had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, a company vice-president who reports directly to him, as the board was said to be preparing to consider his removal. The allegation concerns a second relationship, following his reported admission of an affair with a Chinese businesswoman.

The New York Times reportedly cited five people who had worked at Nvidia in describing Huang’s relationship with Powell, its vice-president of healthcare. The Wall Street Journal was reported to have said that directors could meet as soon as that evening to determine Huang’s future. That would be a decision about his leadership, not a completed dismissal.

The board had already opened an investigation into the earlier relationship. US intelligence reportedly identified the Chinese businesswoman as a suspected spy; China denies the espionage allegations. Republican leaders from three House committees have requested a closed-door briefing with Huang.

The distinction between the two relationships matters. The earlier affair brought reported national-security scrutiny. The allegation involving Powell introduces a separate issue of conduct within Nvidia’s own reporting hierarchy. Neither establishes that confidential information was passed to anyone.

Nvidia shares were reported to have fallen 7% in after-hours trading following the news. A separate legal development now puts alleged failures of disclosure at the centre of a shareholder claim.

On 9 November 2026, retail investor Mark Kistenmacher filed a lawsuit in California accusing Nvidia and Huang of misleading investors by withholding the affair and making false statements about customer Megaspeed. The complaint seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial. Those accusations are allegations, not court findings.

The lawsuit adds a different test from the board’s deliberations. Directors must consider Huang’s conduct and fitness to lead; the investor’s claim concerns what shareholders were told and whether it was misleading. Filing a complaint does not corroborate the underlying relationship or espionage allegations.

The pressure therefore extends beyond whether Nvidia retains its co-founder as chief executive. Replacing a leader would not, by itself, resolve the separate dispute over the company’s disclosures to investors.