Jensen Huang and Lutnick to face Congress over Nvidia security fears

Colette Kress becomes interim Nvidia chief executive after Huang resigns

Jensen Huang resigned from Nvidia on Thursday and was replaced on an interim basis by chief financial officer Colette Kress. The resignation followed reports of multiple affairs, key among them Alice Huang, who is no relation to him but is suspected of spying for China.

The statement from Nvidia’s board of directors confirming Huang’s departure did not mention the spying scandal or the personal conduct revelations. It paid tribute to Huang’s “profound” contributions to the company he co-founded.

Huang and commerce secretary Howard Lutnick are expected to testify before Congress in the coming weeks. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Huang and Nvidia must answer as to whether America’s security had been jeopardised, and said the Trump administration must also account for what it did once it learned about Huang’s reported relationship with Alice Huang, who is accused of spying for China.

Schumer questioned what Donald Trump knew when the president personally invited Jensen Huang aboard Air Force One on a state visit to Beijing earlier this year. “Americans deserve to know that those at the highest levels of power are putting America first, not their bottom line or their personal friendships,” Schumer said. The New York Times has reported that Trump called Jensen Huang two days before he stepped down and urged him to fight for his job.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said he had demanded a classified briefing for all members of Congress about Nvidia. House foreign affairs chair Brian Mast, a Republican, said congressional staff had spoken to Nvidia on Wednesday night about a date and location for Jensen Huang’s testimony.

The scandal has also drawn in Howard Lutnick, after criticism of his department’s oversight of Nvidia’s exports to China and its refusal to add dozens of Chinese companies to a key US trade blacklist. “Secretary Lutnick has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily before the banking committee to address their questions,” Kristen Eichamer, a spokesperson for Lutnick, told NBC News.

Senate banking committee chair Tim Scott said he had sent letters asking Lutnick and Jensen Huang to appear before him because “recent reports raise serious concerns about our national security and the protection of sensitive US technology.” Scott said he would consider subpoenaing Huang if he did not voluntarily appear. “The American people deserve answers,” Scott said.

Nvidia’s advanced AI chips are widely used to develop cutting-edge AI models, making the company key to the US race against China to build superior AI systems. The US has sought for years to limit China’s access to Nvidia’s chips because it does not want the Chinese military to benefit from them.

“The export controls on chips to China has been a big issue around here,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters at the US Capitol, adding that he favoured limiting China’s access to the advanced technology. “I think there’s a developing consensus in Congress that is an important position to take.”

Lawmakers are pressing their colleagues to pass at least four bills on chip exports, according to statements issued since Monday.

Chinese AI companies are now trying to secure Nvidia chip capacity outside China, amid growing concern that the gap in US export controls may now be closed after the scandal, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Beijing has also stepped up efforts to develop domestic alternatives, including through Huawei, although analysts say Chinese chips remain less efficient for training advanced AI models.

On Chinese social media, many expressed surprise at what they see as the swift resignation, and mourned the sudden end of an era that lasted for over three decades. News of his resignation attracted more than 400m posts overnight on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo. Huang had enjoyed rock-star status in China, where his visits drew crowds seeking selfies and autographs and his casual outings became social-media sensations. During a January 2026 visit, opportunistic sellers advertised photographs with him for 25,000 yuan ($3,700), while a Beijing restaurant launched a special menu costing more than 400 yuan after he ate there.