Nvidia shares plunged to $148.80 in early trading on Thursday, their lowest level since mid-2025, as investors reacted to the abrupt resignation of co-founder and chief executive Jensen Huang.
The stock opened at $150.99 after closing at $173.73 on Wednesday, briefly falling to $148.80 before recovering part of the losses. The selloff followed Nvidia’s announcement that Huang had resigned as president, CEO and board member with immediate effect.
Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress has been appointed interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent successor.
Leadership uncertainty rattles investors
The change comes after days of scrutiny surrounding Huang’s personal conduct and reports that he had been targeted in a possible foreign intelligence operation.
Huang previously acknowledged an extramarital affair, while US media reports have linked the woman involved, Alice Huang, to concerns raised by US intelligence officials.
Nvidia’s board said it had no reason to believe company secrets or US national security had been compromised and opened an independent investigation.
Nvidia’s resignation statement did not give a reason for Huang’s departure.
Market analysts say the immediate concern is the uncertainty created by losing the executive who shaped Nvidia’s rise into the dominant supplier of AI computing infrastructure.
Kress offers some continuity
Kress has served as Nvidia’s CFO since 2013 and is viewed as providing continuity during the transition.
Analysts, however, are watching whether the wider leadership team can maintain Nvidia’s pace of innovation, customer relationships and dominant position in AI chips.
Reuters reported that market participants expect heightened volatility as investors reassess the company without its long-time founder at the helm.
Nvidia shares later recovered from the $148.80 low, suggesting some investors were buying into the sharp decline, but the stock remained substantially below Wednesday’s close.
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