A petition calling on Nvidia to reinstate ousted chief executive Jensen Huang had gathered more than 115,000 signatures as of Saturday, including thousands of current and former Nvidia employees and tens of thousands of shareholders. Huang resigned on Thursday, November 12, days after confessing to an affair with a chip executive whom U.S. intelligence had identified as a suspected Chinese spy.
Who signed the petition
According to the tally on the petition’s own site, standwithjensen.com, and cited by TechCrunch, signers included 5,965 current Nvidia employees, 1,108 former employees, and 63,063 shareholders. The petition also drew public backing from prominent technology executives.
Named supporters included Tesla and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk, Replit chief executive Amjad Masad, and Epic Games chief executive Tim Sweeney. None of the three is quoted directly in TechCrunch’s report beyond being listed as signers.
The petition argues that Huang was removed “without meaningful due process.” It makes three specific requests of Nvidia’s board: reinstate Huang while an independent investigation establishes the facts, ensure that investigation is conducted fairly, and give the public more information about the circumstances of his departure. Its text reads: “Jensen deserves due process, not mob justice.”
What led to Huang’s resignation
Huang resigned days after acknowledging an affair with a chip industry executive identified by U.S. intelligence as a suspected Chinese spy, as earlier reported in Praman’s coverage of his resignation as Nvidia chief executive. Nvidia’s chief financial officer, Colette Kress, has stepped in as interim chief executive while the company searches for a permanent replacement.
Nvidia’s stock fell 2% on Friday, the day after the resignation took effect, according to TechCrunch.
What happens next
Nvidia’s board has not publicly responded to the petition. The company’s search for a permanent chief executive continues, with Kress holding the role on an interim basis. Whether the board reopens the question of Huang’s status, or proceeds with a new permanent pick, will determine whether the petition has any practical effect.
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