As Nvidia’s board reportedly weighs Jensen Huang’s future, Elon Musk has stepped into the controversy with a public endorsement. Responding to a social media appeal to recruit Huang, the Tesla and SpaceX chief replied: “That would be an honour.”
BY PC BUREAU
November 12 – As Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang faces the prospect of losing his job over a widening personal and corporate controversy, fellow tech billionaire Elon Musk has emerged as an unexpected supporter, saying it would be an honour to hire the embattled executive.
Musk made the remark on X after a user urged him to recruit Huang, whose future at Nvidia has come under scrutiny following reports of two alleged extramarital relationships, including one with a senior executive at the chipmaker.
“That would be an honour,” Musk replied.
The brief exchange attracted considerable attention because it came just hours after reports that Nvidia’s board was preparing to discuss Huang’s future, including the possibility of removing him as chief executive.
The original appeal came from the popular financial commentary account ZeroHedge, which posted: “Elon please hire Jensen.”
Musk’s response was widely interpreted as an expression of support for Huang. However, neither man has announced any formal employment discussions, and the Tesla and SpaceX chief did not specify what position Huang might be offered.
The development comes at a particularly turbulent time for Nvidia, which has launched an investigation into allegations surrounding its chief executive. The company has also faced investor concerns about the potential consequences of losing the man who has led it for more than three decades.
READ: Nvidia Shares Plunge 8.6% As Board Weighs Jensen Huang’s Future
Musk had defended Huang earlier
This is not the first time Musk has publicly backed Huang since the controversy erupted.
After Huang acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife in an internal communication to Nvidia employees, Musk endorsed a social media post defending the chipmaker’s chief executive.
The post described Huang as someone who had made an exceptionally poor personal decision but had no malicious intentions. It also called him one of the greatest entrepreneurs of his generation and argued that he was indispensable to America’s leadership in artificial intelligence.
Musk responded: “I agree.”
His latest comment suggests that he continues to regard Huang as a valuable technology executive despite the allegations threatening his position at Nvidia.
The public show of support is also significant because Musk’s companies are among the major users of Nvidia’s advanced computing technology. Tesla, SpaceX and xAI are investing heavily in artificial intelligence infrastructure, for which Nvidia’s processors are important components.
Two alleged relationships put Huang under pressure
Huang’s troubles began with revelations about his reported relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman suspected by US intelligence officials of having links to Beijing’s intelligence apparatus.
The allegations have raised questions about whether the Nvidia chief could have been targeted in a foreign intelligence operation and whether sensitive commercial or strategic information might have been exposed.
Alice Huang, who has been associated with Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed, has not publicly responded to the allegations. US officials have not made public evidence establishing that she was recruited by Chinese intelligence.
China’s Foreign Ministry has rejected the accusations, describing them as groundless and an attempt to malign Beijing.
The controversy intensified after Huang acknowledged infidelity in a message to Nvidia employees, apologising to his wife and family and accepting responsibility for his actions.
A second alleged relationship subsequently came to light.
The New York Times reported that Huang had an extramarital relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice-president of healthcare, who reportedly worked directly under him.
Citing five people who had worked at Nvidia, the newspaper reported that two sources described video footage showing Huang and Powell being affectionate at a hotel in San Jose, California, during an Nvidia conference in March.
The newspaper said it had not independently viewed the footage. Neither Huang nor Powell had publicly confirmed the reported relationship.
The allegations have raised additional questions about workplace conduct, potential conflicts of interest and the company’s internal policies governing relationships between senior executives and employees reporting to them.
Nvidia board weighs CEO’s future
The controversy has now developed into a serious leadership challenge for Nvidia.
Reuters reported on Thursday, citing a person familiar with the matter, that Nvidia’s board was meeting late Wednesday to consider whether to remove Huang as chief executive.
The Wall Street Journal had earlier reported that the board was preparing to discuss his future following the revelations about the two alleged relationships.
Bloomberg separately reported that the board had been working with an outside firm to identify possible successors.
Nvidia has not publicly announced a decision to remove Huang. Its board had expressed confidence in his leadership when it announced an investigation into the allegations earlier in the week.
Under Nvidia’s corporate bylaws, Huang can be removed as chief executive with or without cause through a majority vote of the directors.
The company has 11 board members, with Huang the only non-independent director, according to Reuters.
The prospect of his departure has unsettled investors. Nvidia shares fell more than 8% in extended trading on Wednesday following reports about the board’s deliberations.
The company’s market value has also come under pressure as investors assess the consequences of a possible leadership transition.
Why Musk could benefit from Huang’s expertise
Huang’s potential availability would be significant for Musk’s technology ventures, which are expanding their investments in artificial intelligence and advanced computing.
Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs) are among the most important components in the infrastructure used to train and operate large AI models.
Musk’s xAI has been building large-scale computing facilities to support its artificial intelligence development, while Tesla is investing in autonomous driving, robotics and AI-powered systems.
🚨WOW! Elon Musk just said hiring Jensen Huang would be an “HONOR” amid reports the Nvidia CEO might be pushed out of his position by the Board
THIS WOULD SEND SHOCKWAVES 👀
This comes hours after Bloomberg reported Nvidia is shopping for a possible new CEO with an “outside firm”
The board is preparing to possibly OUST him over two reported affairs — one with a suspected CHINESE SPY. Nothing is final yet
Elon is ready to make a bold move! Don’t doubt him.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 12, 2026
SpaceX is also pursuing ambitious computing and space-based infrastructure projects.
Huang’s experience in designing and scaling advanced computing systems could therefore be valuable to Musk’s businesses.
Nvidia has played a central role in supplying the processors needed by technology companies competing in the AI race. Its relationship with Musk’s ventures has also been important because of their substantial computing requirements.
However, Musk did not indicate whether he was considering hiring Huang for Tesla, SpaceX, xAI or another venture.
Nor did he announce that he had contacted Huang about a possible position.
A defining moment for Nvidia
Huang, 63, co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and transformed it from a graphics-chip manufacturer into the world’s dominant supplier of processors for artificial intelligence applications.
His leadership has been widely credited with positioning Nvidia at the centre of the global AI boom.
The company has grown into a technology giant valued at several trillion dollars, with its chips powering AI infrastructure across the world’s largest technology companies.
Huang’s highly centralised management style has also made him difficult to separate from Nvidia’s identity and strategic direction.
Analysts have warned that his departure could create a significant leadership vacuum, particularly because no obvious successor has emerged.
Musk’s public expression of willingness to hire him has consequently added an unusual twist to the crisis.
For now, the prospect of Huang joining one of Musk’s companies remains speculative. Musk’s comment was a response to a social media appeal rather than a formal recruitment announcement.
But as Nvidia’s board weighs the future of its longtime chief executive, the billionaire entrepreneur’s intervention has offered Huang something he may need at this moment: a prominent public endorsement from another of the technology industry’s most powerful figures.
