Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang is facing fresh scrutiny following allegations that he had an extramarital relationship with a senior executive who reports to him, amid an ongoing investigation into a separate relationship with a Chinese businesswoman identified by US intelligence officials as a suspected intelligence asset.
According to The New York Times, five former or current Nvidia employees said Huang, 63, had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, 48, the company’s vice president of health care.
The individuals, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the allegations, said the relationship had not previously been publicly reported.
Two of the sources claimed that Huang and Powell were captured on video displaying affection at a hotel in San Jose, California, during an Nvidia conference in March. However, The New York Times said it had not independently viewed the footage.
Both Huang and Powell are married to other people.
The reported relationship raises questions about potential conflicts of interest under Nvidia’s corporate conduct policies.
The company’s code of conduct instructs employees to “avoid situations where our actions create conflict,” including those involving personal relationships, and states that Nvidia “promptly investigates reports of misconduct.”
Many major corporations maintain policies restricting romantic relationships between managers and employees who report directly to them because of concerns over conflicts of interest and workplace power dynamics.
Huang, who co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and has overseen its emergence as a leading supplier of artificial intelligence chips, has faced increasing scrutiny over his personal relationships.
Last month, The New York Times reported that a Chinese executive with whom Huang had developed a close relationship had been identified by US officials as a Chinese intelligence asset.
The woman, identified as Alice Huang, has been accused by US intelligence officials of working on behalf of Beijing. China has denied the espionage allegations, while Alice Huang has not responded to requests for comment.
Following Jensen Huang’s acknowledgment of that relationship, Nvidia’s board reportedly launched an investigation earlier this month, appointing law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to oversee the inquiry.
Republican leaders of three influential US House committees have also requested that Huang attend a closed-door briefing to discuss his interactions with Alice Huang.
The latest allegations concerning Powell add another dimension to the scrutiny surrounding Nvidia’s chief executive, although no finding of misconduct regarding the reported relationship has been established.
When contacted by The New York Times on Wednesday and questioned about his alleged relationship with Powell, Huang declined to discuss the matter.
“I don’t think you should be talking to me directly,” he reportedly said before ending the call.
The allegations concerning Powell remain unverified, and it is unclear whether Nvidia’s board investigation will examine the reported relationship.