To The Moon

​Jensen Huang’s Biographer Calls Out His "Two-Faced Persona," Says He Shares Trump’s Womanizing Ways

​$NVIDIA(NVDA)$  

​Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned over an extramarital affair. In an op-ed published today, his biographer Stephen Witt exposed Huang's "two-faced persona," pointing out that while Huang projected an approachable, family-oriented image in public, he frequently acted like a tyrant behind closed doors—berating executives for up to an hour at a time. Ultimately, Witt argued, Huang was not defeated by technological shifts, but ruined by his own arrogance and brought down by politics.

​Tech journalist Stephen Witt, who published The Thinking Machine (a biography of Jensen Huang) last year, wrote an op-ed in The New York Times today dissecting the inside story of Huang’s downfall.

​Witt noted that Huang’s mistress, Alice Huang (黃樂), previously ran a Singapore-based company that owned data centers across Southeast Asia. These facilities were suspected of helping Chinese AI developers circumvent U.S. export restrictions on Nvidia hardware. Reports even suggested these centers served as transshipment hubs that illegally smuggled roughly $7 billion worth of Nvidia chips into China. "It is hard to believe Jensen Huang had no knowledge of this," Witt wrote.

​Witt also revealed that Huang allegedly had an affair with one of his direct subordinates, Kimberly Powell. According to former Nvidia employees, the relationship was an open secret within the company. Given that both of Huang’s children hold executive positions at Nvidia, Witt stated that this behavior demonstrated a shocking level of arrogance and a complete lack of respect.

​With Nvidia’s internal "code of silence" now shattered, Witt remarked, "If more women come forward with allegations, I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest."

​Witt pointed out that Huang went to great lengths to mask his arrogance. When Witt first met him in early 2023, Huang consistently credited his success to his employees and executives, warmly chatted with service workers, never let people forget his past as a dishwasher, and loved visiting unassuming diners where he left generous tips.

​Over time, however, Witt began to suspect this was all an act—performed not for others, but to feed Huang's own vanity.

​Witt stated bluntly that Huang was actually deeply arrogant, intolerant of dissent, and lacked the grace for open discussion. Contradicting him, even over trivial matters, was like lighting a fuse; if someone stood their ground, Huang would quickly fly into a rage and call them stupid, often launching into tirades lasting a full hour. Senior executives appeared genuinely terrified of him.

​Furthermore, Huang worked hard to cultivate the image of a devoted family man. Witt wrote that Huang met his wife, Lori Huang, at age 17. She was his first love, and the two married in their early twenties. To allow Huang to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams, Lori left the workforce to focus on raising their children. Huang frequently spoke of her sacrifices, and friends praised them as a model couple—yet now, Witt noted, he has "completely betrayed her."

​Regarding Washington politics, Witt admitted he was surprised when Huang became a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump in 2025, as Huang had previously shown little interest in politics, had limited connections in D.C., and did not attend Trump’s inauguration. However, Huang quickly demonstrated sharp social maneuvering, winning Trump's trust through flattery. By the White House tech summit in September of this year, Huang was seated directly to Trump's right.

​Witt wrote that Trump and Huang share several traits, including boastfulness and narcissism—"and, I suppose, womanizing"—but what truly brought Huang down was politics.

​Huang’s success in persuading Trump to lift export restrictions on Nvidia chips to China put him on a collision course with China hawks in Trump’s administration, particularly Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio, who was previously sanctioned and barred from entering Beijing for his sharp criticism of China, oversaw the review of the memo that ultimately exposed Huang’s scandal.

​Now, Nvidia faces the difficult task of finding a successor. Witt believes this will be no easy feat, as Huang never groomed an heir apparent nor appointed a second-in-command, and having Nvidia CFO Colette Kress serve as interim CEO is not a long-term solution. He noted that whoever takes over must be a world-class computer scientist capable of closing deals with powerful clients while also being tough enough to call Taiwan and yell when chip shipments are delayed.

​Witt concluded, "Nvidia without Jensen Huang is like the Chicago Bulls without Michael Jordan." Having built Nvidia from scratch, Huang was ultimately undone by his own hubris and ego, leaving behind a void that may never be filled.