Elon Musk backs petition seeking Jensen Huang’s return as Nvidia CEO

Tesla CEO and US billionaire Elon Musk has called for the return of Jensen Huang to Nvidia days after the giant chipmaker's chief stepped down following fallout over his affair with an alleged Chinese spy. Huang's exit marks a tumultuous week for Nvidia and for the US chipmaker market, which is set to suffer far-reaching consequences.

@yunta_tsai A petition is underway to reinstate Jensen and I’m signing it too While Huang has stepped down as Nvidia's executive, the FBI is probing the alleged Chinese link of his girlfriend, Alice Huang. It was not yet clear which petition Musk was referring to, but the names of the Tesla CEO along with other tech executives were listed on a petition at the portal standwithjensen.com.

The petition, titled "Thirty-three years deserve an answer" and signed by over 44,000 signatories, said, "We are concerned that Jensen was removed without meaningful due process." The signatories included over 4,400 current Nvidia employees, 776 former employees, and over 41,000 shareholders.

In response to another post suggesting that Musk hire the former Nvidia CEO, the Tesla CEO replied: “That would be an honor.” Last month, The New York Times reported that Jensen had a relationship with Alice Huang, an unrelated former executive of Singapore-based company Megaspeed, who the US authorities investigated and concluded to be a Chinese ​intelligence asset.

Huang enjoys a close relationship with US President Donald Trump. Trump had urged Huang to fight for his job in a call on Tuesday, The New York Times reported. An internal Nvidia suggestion-box post urging the board to consider employee sentiment over Huang's departure attracted more than 1,600 comments, Wired reported, citing internal communications.

Several employees reportedly called for Huang to be reinstated, while others urged the board to complete its investigation and explain its findings before making a decision. The internal discussion is separate from the public Stand With Jensen petition.

The two campaigns should not be treated as a single petition or as evidence of a formal company-wide demand. Huang resigned as Nvidia's president, chief executive and board member with immediate effect on November 12, after leading the chipmaker for 33 years.

Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress was named interim CEO while the board considers its leadership options. His departure followed reports about relationships outside his marriage. Huang acknowledged in a message to Nvidia employees that he had been unfaithful to his wife and apologised to his family, colleagues and the company.

The controversy also involved Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang, a former executive of Singapore-based Megaspeed International. US intelligence concerns about her alleged links to Chinese intelligence and her reported relationship with Jensen Huang have raised national security questions.

These allegations have not been publicly established as proof that she acted as a Chinese intelligence asset. The Nvidia board has announced an independent investigation into whether Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation.

The company has said it had no reason to believe that sensitive information or national security material had been compromised. Musk's support adds to the public backing Huang has received since his resignation. US President Donald Trump had also expressed support for the Nvidia co-founder and urged him to fight for his position, The New York Times reported.

Nvidia has not announced any decision to reinstate Huang.