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Thursday, November 12, 2026

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Companies · Thursday, November 12, 2026

Jensen Huang resigns as NVIDIA's chief executive; finance chief Colette Kress steps in for now

The File desk · Nov. 12, 2026, 9:26 a.m. ET

Confirmed3 primary sourcesUpdated 9:26 a.m. ET, Nov. 12

Status

Confirmed from NVIDIA's press release "NVIDIA Announces CEO Transition," dated Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, and the company's Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission the same morning (accession 0001045810-26-000082, accepted 8:52 a.m. ET), both opened by this desk. Neither document gives a reason for the resignation or mentions the board's investigation announced on Sunday, Nov. 8. The reporting behind that investigation is still not confirmed here.
  • Confirmed
    Huang's resignation, Kress's interim appointment, the search for a permanent chief executive and Jones's appointment as chair are from NVIDIA's Nov. 12 press release and its Form 8-K under Item 5.02.
  • Unverified
    The foreign-intelligence claim is news reporting the board's Nov. 8 statement refers to. This desk has not confirmed it, and neither Thursday document mentions it.
Jensen Huang has resigned as NVIDIA's president and chief executive and has left its board, effective immediately, the company said on Thursday, Nov. 12.1 Colette Kress, the chief financial officer, will serve as interim chief executive, running the company only until the board picks a permanent leader.1 Neither the company's announcement nor its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission says why Huang left.12
The board accepted the resignation on Wednesday, Nov. 11, says the filing, which was accepted at 8:52 a.m. ET on Thursday.2 That filing is a Form 8-K. A public company must file one, under a section called Item 5.02, when an executive officer or director leaves.2
Kress will keep her job as chief financial officer while she runs the company. The board says it will consider candidates from inside and outside NVIDIA.1 She has been chief financial officer since she joined in September 2013, after nearly 25 years in finance jobs at technology companies including Cisco and Microsoft.1 The filing gives her age as 59.2
The board also named Harvey C. Jones as its first-ever chair.1 The chair leads the board of directors, which oversees the chief executive on behalf of shareholders and can hire or replace that person. The chief executive is the one who runs the business day to day. Jones, 73, has been on NVIDIA's board since 1993 and was chief executive and executive chairman of Synopsys, a chip-design software company.12
"The Board has full confidence in Colette and the leadership team, and we expect the company's operations, customer commitments and product roadmap to continue without interruption," Jones said in the release.1 Kress said she is committed to "building on the extraordinary foundation Jensen created over the last 33 years."1
Four days earlier, on Sunday, Nov. 8, the board said it was opening an independent investigation after reporting that Huang had been the target of a foreign intelligence effort.3 Thursday's release and filing do not mention that investigation.12 This desk has not confirmed the reporting the board referred to.
Why it matters (Estimate). Estimate. NVIDIA makes the chips much of the artificial-intelligence industry runs on, and Huang had led it for 33 years, by Kress's count. Customers and shareholders will be looking for any word on the leadership change when the company reports results on Tuesday, Nov. 17. This is our reading.
NVIDIA still plans to report its quarterly results on Tuesday, Nov. 17, as previously scheduled, at about 4:20 p.m. ET (1:20 p.m. PT), followed by a call with analysts at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT).1
How we know

Notes

  1. 1.NVIDIA press release, NVIDIA Announces CEO Transition, SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE). No time of day. "NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) Board of Directors announced today that Jensen Huang has resigned as President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board, effective immediately." "Kress will continue to serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer while serving as Interim Chief Executive Officer until a permanent successor has been named. The Board is initiating a search for a permanent Chief Executive Officer and will consider internal and external candidates." "Prior to joining NVIDIA, Kress spent nearly 25 years in finance roles at leading technology companies, including Cisco and Microsoft." "The Board of Directors appointed Harvey C. Jones as its first-ever Chair of the Board." "NVIDIA will report its third-quarter fiscal 2027 financial results on Tuesday, November 17, at approximately 1:20 p.m. PT, as previously scheduled, followed by its earnings call at 2 p.m. PT." Retrieved 9:20 a.m. ET, Nov. 12. https://investor.nvidia.com/news/press-release-details/2026/NVIDIA-Announces-CEO-Transition/
  2. 2.SEC EDGAR, NVIDIA Corp Form 8-K, accession 0001045810-26-000082, accepted 2026-11-12 08:52:41, period of report Nov. 11, 2026, Items 5.02 and 9.01. "On November 11, 2026, the Board of Directors, or the Board, of NVIDIA Corporation accepted the resignation of Jen-Hsun Huang, as NVIDIA's President, Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board, effective immediately." Kress, age 59, appointed interim Chief Executive Officer "while the Board conducts a search for a new Chief Executive Officer." "On November 11, 2026, the Board appointed Harvey C. Jones, age 73, as Chair of the Board. Mr. Jones has served on the Board since 1993." Retrieved 9:20 a.m. ET, Nov. 12. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000104581026000082/0001045810-26-000082-index.htm
  3. 3.NVIDIA newsroom, Statement From NVIDIA Board of Directors, dated November 8, 2026. No time of day. "The NVIDIA Board is initiating an independent investigation in light of recent reporting that founder and CEO Jensen Huang has been the target of a foreign intelligence effort." Reopened 9:22 a.m. ET, Nov. 12; unchanged. https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/statement-from-nvidia-board-of-directors

What is still unknown or disputed

  • Why Huang resigned. Neither the release nor the filing says.
  • Whether the resignation is connected to the board's investigation, and where that investigation stands. Neither document mentions it.
  • Who will be NVIDIA's permanent chief executive, and when.
  • How the stock reacted. This desk did not open a market data source for it.

Primary sources

Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.

  1. Source 1

    NVIDIA Announces CEO Transition

    NVIDIA · November 12, 2026

    Jensen Huang has resigned as president, chief executive and board member, effective immediately. CFO Colette Kress is interim CEO and stays CFO. Harvey C. Jones is the board's first-ever chair. No reason given.

    https://investor.nvidia.com/news/press-release-details/2026/NVIDIA-Announces-CEO-Transition/

  2. Source 2

    NVIDIA Corp Form 8-K (Item 5.02), accession 0001045810-26-000082

    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission · November 12, 2026

    The board accepted Jen-Hsun Huang's resignation on November 11, 2026, appointed Colette M. Kress, 59, interim CEO, and appointed Harvey C. Jones, 73, a director since 1993, as chair. Accepted 8:52 a.m. ET, Nov. 12.

    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000104581026000082/0001045810-26-000082-index.htm

  3. Source 3

    Statement From NVIDIA Board of Directors

    NVIDIA · November 8, 2026

    The board is initiating an independent investigation after reporting that Jensen Huang has been the target of a foreign intelligence effort. Dated November 8, 2026.

    https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/statement-from-nvidia-board-of-directors