A petition backed by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk calling for Jensen Huang's return as Nvidia CEO reached more than 120,000 signatures by November 14. The campaign, titled "Stand With Jensen," included over 6,000 self-identified current Nvidia employees, more than 1,100 former employees, more than 65,000 shareholders, and over 47,000 other supporters. All affiliations were self-reported and unverified.
Musk announced his support for the petition on November 13, stating he was signing it to back Huang's reinstatement. On November 14, he elaborated on his concerns, saying: "Jensen drove supply chain brilliantly at Nvidia, but many of those deals were a handshake with Jensen, not a written contract. Without Jensen, at least some of those critical deals will be lost."
Petition Demands and Campaign Goals
The independent volunteer campaign demanded Huang's reinstatement, an independent investigation with a fair hearing, and a timely public explanation. Organizers asked directors to provide evidence supporting Huang's continued absence if necessary. The petition also sought disclosure of the inquiry's scope, independence, and expected timeline, along with a meaningful opportunity for Huang to respond.
Leadership Changes at Nvidia
Nvidia announced Huang's resignation on November 12, covering his positions as president, CEO, and board member. Finance chief Colette Kress became interim CEO while retaining her financial responsibilities. The board stated it expected operations, customer commitments, and the product roadmap to continue without interruption.
Harvey C. Jones, a former Synopsys CEO, became the company's first board chair. The search for a permanent CEO included internal and external candidates. Nvidia retained outside lawyers from the firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to conduct an independent inquiry.
