Jensen Huang loses $108 million in unvested equity after abrupt exit from Nvidia

Jensen Huang loses $108 million in unvested equity after abrupt exit from Nvidia

Under Nvidia’s compensation policy, unvested restricted stock units (RSUs) are automatically forfeited the moment an executive terminates continuous service. Huang held approximately 346,000 such units and was positioned to receive around 310,000 additional shares through the company's equity incentive plan.

Advertisement
    Share:
Unlike many Silicon Valley peers whose fortunes rely heavily on complex option packages, Huang’s wealth is overwhelmingly tied to his direct ownership of Nvidia common stock.Unlike many Silicon Valley peers whose fortunes rely heavily on complex option packages, Huang’s wealth is overwhelmingly tied to his direct ownership of Nvidia common stock.
Business Today Desk
  • Nov 13, 2026,
  • Updated Nov 13, 2026 8:52 AM IST

Jensen Huang’s abrupt ouster from Nvidia Corp. will cost him roughly $108 million in unvested equity compensation — a massive sum for most executives, yet a mere rounding error in his personal fortune. 

The 63-year-old co-founder stepped down following revelations of two alleged extramarital affairs, triggering an immediate market shock. The relinquished equity represents just 0.07% of his total net worth, which stood at $144.5 billion prior to his exit announcement on November 12, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. 

Advertisement

Under Nvidia’s compensation policy, unvested restricted stock units (RSUs) are automatically forfeited the moment an executive terminates continuous service. Huang held approximately 346,000 such units and was positioned to receive around 310,000 additional shares through the company's equity incentive plan, contingent on performance targets, as per a Bloomberg report.

Over the past two years, he also collected roughly $7.5 million annually in cash compensation — another negligible fraction of his overall wealth. 

Unlike many Silicon Valley peers whose fortunes rely heavily on complex option packages, Huang’s wealth is overwhelmingly tied to his direct ownership of Nvidia common stock. He controls a 3.5% voting stake in the Santa Clara, California-based chipmaker, accounting for nearly 97% of his net worth. Because Nvidia maintains a single class of shares, Huang holds no super-voting or privileged rights. 

Advertisement

While the forfeited awards barely dent his balance sheet, the market’s reaction to his departure delivered a far heavier immediate blow. News of the exit sent Nvidia shares plunging as much as 14% in New York trading, erasing $7.4 billion from Huang’s net worth by noon. 

Meanwhile, the Huang saga refused to die down with reports of one more alleged affair coming to the light. Ousted Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had an intimate relationship with a second employee. The name of the woman is not known, Reuters reported, citing people aware of the matter.

The revelation comes after two other extramarital affairs led to Huang quitting Nvidia on November 12 evening. The two women are Alice Huang, who is suspected of being a Chinese spy, and Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare.

Jensen Huang’s abrupt ouster from Nvidia Corp. will cost him roughly $108 million in unvested equity compensation — a massive sum for most executives, yet a mere rounding error in his personal fortune. 

The 63-year-old co-founder stepped down following revelations of two alleged extramarital affairs, triggering an immediate market shock. The relinquished equity represents just 0.07% of his total net worth, which stood at $144.5 billion prior to his exit announcement on November 12, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. 

Advertisement

Under Nvidia’s compensation policy, unvested restricted stock units (RSUs) are automatically forfeited the moment an executive terminates continuous service. Huang held approximately 346,000 such units and was positioned to receive around 310,000 additional shares through the company's equity incentive plan, contingent on performance targets, as per a Bloomberg report.

Over the past two years, he also collected roughly $7.5 million annually in cash compensation — another negligible fraction of his overall wealth. 

Unlike many Silicon Valley peers whose fortunes rely heavily on complex option packages, Huang’s wealth is overwhelmingly tied to his direct ownership of Nvidia common stock. He controls a 3.5% voting stake in the Santa Clara, California-based chipmaker, accounting for nearly 97% of his net worth. Because Nvidia maintains a single class of shares, Huang holds no super-voting or privileged rights. 

Advertisement

While the forfeited awards barely dent his balance sheet, the market’s reaction to his departure delivered a far heavier immediate blow. News of the exit sent Nvidia shares plunging as much as 14% in New York trading, erasing $7.4 billion from Huang’s net worth by noon. 

Meanwhile, the Huang saga refused to die down with reports of one more alleged affair coming to the light. Ousted Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had an intimate relationship with a second employee. The name of the woman is not known, Reuters reported, citing people aware of the matter.

The revelation comes after two other extramarital affairs led to Huang quitting Nvidia on November 12 evening. The two women are Alice Huang, who is suspected of being a Chinese spy, and Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare.

Read more!
Advertisement