'Bring back THE boss if..': Over 1,600 Nvidia employees demand Jensen Huang's return

As the controversy around former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang continues to rage on, some employees have demanded his return despite his multiple extramarital affairs and subsequent resignation, WIRED reported, citing internal correspondence. Submitted by a longtime Nvidia engineer before Huang's resignation, an internal "suggestion box" urged the board to factor in employee sentiment before taking any action. 

Huang resigned on Thursday, putting an end to his association of more than 3 decades with the company he co-founded. His departure came after scrutiny of his personal relationships and despite US President Donald Trump reportedly requesting him to fight for his position. 

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What did employees demand?

Since then, the "suggestion box" has attracted over 1,600 comments, with several employees asking the board members to find a way to bring back Jensen Huang.

A commenter wrote, "If you believe in the mission, bring back THE boss." "We are all humans and can make mistakes. Jensen did so many good things and he needs a second chance," another commenter said. 

An employee sent a companywide email, demanding transparency on Huang's resignation. The employee wrote, "I stand by Jensen." He added, "Not because I believe any person is infallible, but because I refuse to believe that standing for fairness must mean standing at a distance from someone whose leadership has meant so much to us." 

Around two dozen employees also posted messages on LinkedIn supporting Huang. One employee told WIRED that they see the demand to reinstate Huang as widespread, adding they are worried that the company will eventually suffer without its founder at the helm of affairs. "Nvidia is Nvidia because of Jensen," the employee said. 

Some others expected a board probe to conclude before any big changes would take place. The internal suggestion box urged the company board to share its findings with employees and formally seek their sentiment "about Jensen's continuing as our CEO". 

Jensen Huang, however, left just as the board inquiry started. Employees are perplexed and seeking to understand why Huang did so. "If America fails the man who helped its future," the employee's companywide email read, "then this world does not deserve Jensen Huang." 

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Huang's resignation

Jensen Huang, who led Nvidia since it was founded in 1993, wrote in an email to his employees that he was "unfaithful to [his] wife", adding that there was "no excuse". 

"I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions deeply hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry," he wrote in a memo. His email to Nvidia employees came after reports of his alleged affair with a suspected Chinese spy. 

On Thursday morning, Nvidia board announced that Huang resigned following reports of two extramarital affairs. The company board largely comprises early investors and Huang's longtime confidants. It named Colette Kress as the interim CEO and appointed Harvey Jones as the first-ever board chair. 

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