Times Names Nvidia VP Kimberly Powell in Huang Investigation; Board Reportedly to Meet on His Future

In its investigation published on November 11, The New York Times named a second person said to be involved: Kimberly Powell, 48, Nvidia's vice president of health care, who reports directly to Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang; both are married. According to the Times' sources, the two were recorded behaving intimately at a hotel in March, during Nvidia's GTC conference in San Jose. The claims are unverified allegations, and Huang faces no criminal charge.

CNBC quoted an anonymous Nvidia employee saying rumors about a relationship between Huang and Powell had circulated inside the company for years. Powell did not respond to the Times' request for comment. Reached by phone by a Times reporter, Huang said only, "I don't think you should be talking to me directly," before hanging up, a remark that neither confirms nor denies the allegations. Nvidia did not provide a statement to the Times about the investigation.

Building on that, The Wall Street Journal reported on the evening of November 11 that Nvidia's board is preparing to meet as early as Wednesday (November 11) to decide whether Huang should remain in his role, with all options on the table, including removing him. Bloomberg reported that the board has approached outside firms to discuss potential successors as chief executive, and The Washington Post reported that the White House will not intervene in the board's decision.

The sourcing behind this story should be stated plainly for readers. The naming of Powell rests on five anonymous sources cited by the Times, which has stated it has not seen the video recording its report refers to. The board meeting and the removal option rest on the Journal's anonymous sourcing, and the successor outreach on Bloomberg's anonymous sourcing. No party has produced physical evidence, GSM has not been able to independently verify the claims, and everything above remains unverified reporting, not an established or decided fact.

Markets reacted immediately. Nvidia shares rose 2.87% in Wednesday's regular session to close at $173.73; after the reports appeared, the stock fell sharply in after-hours trading, and a market-data snapshot from Finnhub showed it at about $158.81 as of 8 p.m. Eastern, down about 8.6% from the close.

As for responses, Nvidia's previously stated position is that it promptly investigates reports of misconduct. As of publication, Nvidia had issued no public statement about the reported board meeting on Huang's future, and Powell had not responded publicly.

Timeline

March 2026: According to The New York Times, Huang and Kimberly Powell were recorded behaving intimately at a hotel during Nvidia's GTC conference in San Jose; the Times said it has not seen the recording it refers to, and Powell did not respond to a request for comment.

November 8, 2026: Over Huang's dealings with Alice Huang, an executive at the Singapore cloud company Megaspeed, Nvidia's board announced an independent investigation, saying at the time that it retained confidence in Huang, and Huang acknowledged an extramarital affair in a message to employees the same day. On November 10, Nvidia's independent directors announced that the investigation would be led by Joon H. Kim of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.

November 9, 2026: Shareholders sued Nvidia and Huang in a class action over the company's disclosures, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, case No. 5:26-cv-13448.

November 11, 2026: The Times published its investigation and named Powell; the Journal reported the same day that the board would meet as early as that day to decide Huang's future, with removal among the options; Nvidia shares fell about 8.6% in after-hours trading.

November 18, 2026: Three House committee chairs have asked Huang to attend a closed-door briefing, still to be held; the chairs have said subpoenas are possible if he does not agree to attend.

Since GSM began covering this matter, the newsroom has written to Nvidia's media department seeking comment and had received no formal reply as of publication. GSM will continue to follow official developments.

Related: New York Times Reports Nvidia Board Discussed Jensen Huang's Future

Shareholders Sue NVIDIA and Jensen Huang in Class Action Alleging Misleading Statements on Megaspeed Ties

Follow-Up: As Jensen Huang's Reply Deadline Passes, a House Chair Says Subpoenas Are Likely If He Does Not Agree to a Closed-Door Briefing

Viral 'Letters' From Jensen Huang's Wife and Daughter Are Fabricated; Neither Has Made Any Public Statement

(Source: The Wall Street Journal)

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：英伟达创始人兼首席执行官黄仁勋2023年11月9日在台北出席第一届李国鼎奖颁奖典礼时发言（资料图）。台湾总统府摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang speaking at the first K. T. Li Award ceremony in Taipei on November 9, 2023 (file photo). Photo by the Office of the President, Taiwan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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