Social media users claim “Israeli influence” in Nvidia leadership change
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Following Nvidia’s announcement that co-founder Jensen Huang resigned as president and CEO and that longtime chief financial officer Colette Kress would serve as interim CEO, some social media users have alleged an “Israeli coup” or outsized ‘Israeli’ influence over the leadership transition.
Huang stepped down amid reports of extramarital affairs, including one with a businesswoman US officials have linked to Chinese intelligence and another with a company subordinate.
Nvidia’s board accepted the resignation, appointed Kress (who continues as CFO) on an interim basis, and said it would search for a permanent successor while considering both internal and external candidates. Shares fell sharply after the news.
Online posts have pointed to two main elements. An ‘Israeli’ outlet, Ynet, published an article listing possible successors that included three ‘Israelis’ with semiconductor experience: Nvidia CTO Michael Kagan (a co-founder of Mellanox Technologies), former Mellanox CEO Eyal Waldman, and Apple hardware executive Johny Srouji.
Separately, users recirculated a 2023 interview Kress gave to the ‘Israeli’ business newspaper Globes in which she said her day typically began with meetings involving the company’s ‘Israeli’ executives before shifting to California.
These claims occur against the backdrop of Nvidia’s substantial operations in ‘Israel’.
The company acquired ‘Israeli’ networking firm Mellanox in 2020 for about $7 billion.
That unit has grown into a major contributor to Nvidia’s data-center and AI networking technology, with reports indicating roughly 6,000 employees in ‘Israel’ and a significant share of related revenue.
Industry coverage has long noted ‘Israel’s’ importance as one of Nvidia’s key engineering hubs outside the United States.
The board described Kress’s appointment as a temporary measure during the search for a permanent CEO and expressed confidence in her and the existing leadership team to maintain operations.
