Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has been accused of having had an inappropriate relationship with a senior executive who reports directly to him, following controversy over his involvement in a China-related espionage case, according to The New York Times and other media outlets.
Several former Nvidia employees identified the executive as Kimberly Powell, the company’s vice-president of healthcare.
People familiar with the matter said Powell, 48, is married. During Nvidia’s annual GTC developer conference in San Jose, California, in March this year, Huang, 63, and Powell were seen behaving intimately at a hotel near the venue. A bystander filmed them on a mobile phone. Following the incident, Huang’s security team detained the witness and demanded that they sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Nvidia’s current Code of Conduct explicitly requires employees to avoid conduct that creates conflicts of interest, specifically mentioning “personal relationships”, and pledges prompt investigations into any allegations of misconduct. Under modern corporate governance standards, romantic relationships between senior executives and their direct reports are generally regarded as a major compliance failing, carrying significant ethical risks of conflicts of interest and abuse of authority.
Huang is currently embroiled in several controversies. Last month, media reports revealed that a Chinese businesswoman with close ties to Huang had been identified by US intelligence agencies as an intelligence operative. Following Huang’s own admission of the extramarital affair, Nvidia’s board has hired prominent law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to lead an independent internal review.
Meanwhile, the Republican leaders of three influential US House committees have also put pressure on Huang to attend a closed-door hearing to explain the details of his interactions with the woman, Alice Huang, whose Chinese name is Huang Le. China has previously categorically denied the espionage allegations.
When contacted by phone about the mounting questions, Huang said only, “I don’t think you should be talking to me directly.” He then hung up. Nvidia declined to comment, and Powell did not respond to a request for comment.
