Elon Musk has expressed willingness to hire Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang if the chipmaker decides to remove him amid mounting controversy over his reported relationships and allegations involving a suspected Chinese intelligence operative.
Musk responded to a post on X urging him to hire Huang, replying: “That would be an honour.” The comment comes as reports suggest Nvidia’s board is considering possible leadership changes and evaluating potential successors to its founder and CEO.
The exchange is the latest instance of Musk publicly supporting Huang, who has faced scrutiny following reports about two alleged extramarital relationships, including one involving Alice Huang, a woman suspected by US intelligence of having links to Chinese espionage. The allegations of espionage have not been independently established.
A longstanding professional relationship
Musk and Huang have shared a professional relationship for nearly a decade. In 2016, when Musk was associated with OpenAI, he placed the first order for Nvidia’s DGX-1 AI supercomputer. Huang personally delivered the machine to OpenAI’s San Francisco office.
Musk had also previously supported a social media post describing Huang’s alleged conduct as “incredibly dumb” but suggesting he had no malicious intentions. The post called Huang an important figure in America’s AI leadership, to which Musk replied: “I agree.”
US President Donald Trump has also publicly defended Huang, describing him as an honourable person who had done an exceptional job.
Nvidia leadership under scrutiny
Huang’s position has come under pressure following reports of a second alleged relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice-president of healthcare. The New York Times reportedly cited footage showing the two being affectionate at a San Jose hotel during a conference in March.
Bloomberg has reported that Nvidia is working with an outside firm to identify potential successors, with the possibility of appointing an interim CEO while it considers a permanent replacement.
Huang has previously acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife, Lori Huang, in an internal memo to employees, apologising to his family and the company. He has not publicly commented on the latest reports.
Nvidia is also investigating the allegations involving Alice Huang and whether any national security or corporate information may have been compromised.
Source: India Today
