The San Jose Denny’s where Nvidia was conceived quietly removed Jensen Huang’s commemorative plaque from its wall after the embattled CEO’s resignation on Thursday.
Huang, 63, stepped down from the $4 trillion tech company following reports of multiple extramarital relationships, including one with a woman alleged to be a Chinese spy.
Huang founded Nvidia in 1993 alongside Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem.
Manami Yamada/REUTERS/Manami Yamada/File Photo
The billionaire washed dishes and served tables at a Denny’s in Portland when he was a teenager. Years later, he and two friends dreamt up Nvidia over coffee and pancakes at the roadside diner’s San Jose location.
Denny’s installed a plaque honoring the company in 2023.
Footage obtained by Reuters shows Jensen Huang at dinner with Alice Huang.
“THE BOOTH THAT LAUNCHED A $1 TRILLION COMPANY,” it read. “Congratulations, NVIDIA! Who knew that an idea started here would change the world?”
NBC News reports that by Friday, the plaque was gone, leaving behind chipped red paint on the wall behind the booth. Two employees told the outlet that it had been removed.
Huang admitted to having an affair with Alice Huang (no relation), a former executive at the Singapore-based data center firm Megaspeed, in a company-wide email on Sunday.
“I was unfaithful to my wife,” he wrote. “My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.”
Huang has been married to his wife, Lori, since 1985. The couple met while studying engineering at Oregon State University.
Huang was among the tech leaders invited to the White House for a high-profile luncheon in September.
Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
They have two children, Spencer, 35, and Madison, 34. Both work for Nvidia.
In his letter, Huang said Nvidia’s board of directors had initiated an independent investigation into the situation. The former CEO is also the subject of an FBI probe.
Huang’s fans paid their respects outside of the company’s Santa Clara campus.
Benjamin Fanjoy/Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images
On Wednesday, The New York Times first reported on a second extramarital affair between Huang and Nvidia’s vice president of health care, Kimberly Powell, 48. According to The Times, Powell reports directly to Huang.
Huang resigned as president, CEO, and board member Thursday after 33 years helming the company. Chief financial officer and executive vice president Colette Kress was named interim CEO.
Nvidia’s stock price tumbled following reports of Huang’s affairs and his subsequent resignation. Shares closed at $162.85 on Friday, marking a drop of more than 30 percent from their recent October peak and wiping out hundreds of billions in market capitalization.
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