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Huang’s resignation puts Britain’s Nvidia-backed AI plans in focus
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The Nvidia chief who called the UK’s AI moment “Goldilocks” has stepped down over a personal scandal. Much of Britain’s AI build-out runs on his company’s chips.
Jensen Huang, the Nvidia founder who became one of the most prominent backers of Britain’s AI ambitions, has resigned as the company’s chief executive.
His departure, announced on Thursday, follows reports of two extramarital relationships. One of them was with a woman US officials allege is a Chinese intelligence asset. Colette Kress, Nvidia’s chief financial officer, will serve as interim chief executive.
For Britain, the timing matters. In September 2025, during President Trump’s state visit, Nvidia and its partners announced up to £11bn of UK AI infrastructure built around its chips. The plans included up to 120,000 of its most advanced processors across British data centres. They covered OpenAI’s Stargate UK project with Nscale, a Microsoft supercomputer in Loughton and a CoreWeave data centre in Scotland.
Two days later Nvidia committed a further £2bn to British AI start-ups, working with London investors including Balderton Capital and Air Street Capital. The funding was aimed at Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester and the government’s AI growth zones.
Huang fronted both announcements personally. “The United Kingdom is in a Goldilocks moment,” he said at the time. “There has never been a better time to invest in the UK.” Then Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted Britain to be “the destination of choice” for companies at the forefront of technology.
Ben Barringer of UK wealth manager Quilter Cheviot said the departure “doesn’t necessarily harm Nvidia in the short-term”. He warned, however, of a longer-term effect on the wider AI sector, given Huang’s influence over regulation and investment.
He warned, however, of a longer-term effect on the wider AI sector, given Huang’s influence over regulation and investment.
How the scandal unfolded
On 29 October the New York Times reported that Huang had had a relationship with Alice Huang, who is not related to him. She is a former executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based firm that is Nvidia’s main partner in South-East Asia. The FBI, Congress and Nvidia are all investigating the relationship.
Huang, 63, admitted to having been “unfaithful” and apologised to his family. A second report this week, of a relationship with a senior Nvidia executive, led to a board meeting on Wednesday night and his resignation the next day.
Nvidia has lost more than $600bn in market value this week, and its shares fell by around 10% at Thursday’s open. The company reports earnings next week.
