Nvidia’s (NVDA.O), opens new tab board is preparing to oust CEO Jensen Huang after he had two extramarital affairs, including one with a suspected Chinese spy, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The board is preparing to meet as soon as Wednesday to determine his future, the report added.
It’s not about how competent or trustworthy he is, and all about gauging public perception.
AI-boom nVidia is about perception, less so substance.
Pre-AI boom, nVidia might come to a partner with a pitch asking for 5 million dollar investment to try to flesh out some concept they have. They’ll present a detailed explanation of what they are thinking, analysis of expected performance enhancements, some reference customers, revenue projections with anticipated margins, and maybe a six month exclusivity for the investment.
AI-boom nVidia comes to a partner and has a very vague idea not well described and says “give us 50 million”. No details, no analysis, no market projections. Instead “first company to commit gets their logo on a deck with Jensen on stage, other companies will get a verbal mention after the top billing”.
For more expensive commitments, your CEO is allowed to come onstage with Jensen. For ungodly more, Jensen will come to your CEO’s event.
They made “association with Jensen” the product for partners to covet. So they now weigh how much being a chump to Chinese intelligence and affair with a subordinate weighs against their ‘rockstarification’ of Jensen.