Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang net worth today: Jensen Huang has fallen out of the world's 10 richest people after a sharp decline in Nvidia shares wiped billions off his fortune, adding to the pressure on the chipmaker's chief executive as he faces scrutiny over his relationship with a woman suspected by US officials of having links to Chinese intelligence.
Huang's wealth dropped by $6.5 billion to $148 billion after Monday's market close, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He finished the day in 12th place, below former Walmart chairman Rob Walton, after ranking 10th at the end of the previous week.
The decline comes as Nvidia shares face pressure from a broader technology sell-off and investors assess the potential implications of a board investigation into whether Huang was targeted in a foreign intelligence effort.
Huang's fortune has moved alongside the company's share price. He owns more than 870 million Nvidia shares, according to the company's latest annual report.
His position among the world's richest people has also shifted quickly. Huang ranked seventh on the Bloomberg index in October, when his fortune was roughly $60 billion higher than Monday's estimate. He briefly dropped out of the top 10 during last week's sharp market sell-off before returning by the end of the week.
The pressure on Nvidia extends beyond the controversy surrounding its CEO. Investors have grown concerned that the infrastructure needed to support artificial intelligence may not be built as quickly as expected. Those worries were initially fuelled by the high debt levels of neocloud companies and were followed by political concerns after several Democrats who have spoken against data center construction won elections at state and federal levels last week.
Huang acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife, Lori Huang, in a memo to Nvidia employees on Sunday and apologised. The admission followed a late-October New York Times report about his relationship with Alice Huang and allegations involving China's efforts to obtain information about Nvidia.
According to the report, US intelligence agencies had identified a close relationship between the two. US officials suspected that Megaspeed was directing Nvidia's advanced AI chips to China and reportedly concluded that Alice Huang was a Chinese intelligence asset.
The allegations have not been confirmed. The New York Times also reported that Alice Huang had been recruited by China's Ministry of State Security to gather information about Jensen Huang, citing a memo circulated within the Trump administration.
Nvidia's board announced on Sunday that a committee of independent directors, assisted by outside legal counsel, would investigate all available information to determine whether Huang had been the target of a foreign intelligence effort. The board said it had no reason to believe that national security or Nvidia secrets had been compromised.
Huang said he supported the investigation. The company had previously told the New York Times that his interactions with Alice Huang were not unusual or unexpected, describing customer meetings as part of his role.
The scrutiny comes at a sensitive time for Nvidia. Huang has led the company for years and is widely viewed as central to its success. Investors may also be weighing the possibility that the board's investigation could create questions about his future at the company.
US president Donald Trump defended Huang on Sunday night, calling him an “honorable guy” and saying he would still include the Nvidia CEO on his upcoming trip to China, as per Forbes report. Huang has also become an ally and technology adviser to Trump, whose administration rolled back Biden-era rules introduced in 2022 that restricted global exports of AI chips.
Huang's wealth dropped by $6.5 billion to $148 billion after Monday's market close, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He finished the day in 12th place, below former Walmart chairman Rob Walton, after ranking 10th at the end of the previous week.
The decline comes as Nvidia shares face pressure from a broader technology sell-off and investors assess the potential implications of a board investigation into whether Huang was targeted in a foreign intelligence effort.
Jensen Huang's fortune shrinks as Nvidia stock (NVDA) falls 21% in a month
Nvidia shares fell as much as 9% during Monday's trading session before closing 4.3% lower at $178.67. The stock has lost 21% over the past month and is down nearly 27% from its October 6 peak of $243.37.Huang's fortune has moved alongside the company's share price. He owns more than 870 million Nvidia shares, according to the company's latest annual report.
His position among the world's richest people has also shifted quickly. Huang ranked seventh on the Bloomberg index in October, when his fortune was roughly $60 billion higher than Monday's estimate. He briefly dropped out of the top 10 during last week's sharp market sell-off before returning by the end of the week.
The pressure on Nvidia extends beyond the controversy surrounding its CEO. Investors have grown concerned that the infrastructure needed to support artificial intelligence may not be built as quickly as expected. Those worries were initially fuelled by the high debt levels of neocloud companies and were followed by political concerns after several Democrats who have spoken against data center construction won elections at state and federal levels last week.
Affair admission and China allegations add pressure on Nvidia CEO: What we know about Alice Huang
The stock decline also followed developments surrounding Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen and former executive at Singapore-based data center company Megaspeed.Huang acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife, Lori Huang, in a memo to Nvidia employees on Sunday and apologised. The admission followed a late-October New York Times report about his relationship with Alice Huang and allegations involving China's efforts to obtain information about Nvidia.
According to the report, US intelligence agencies had identified a close relationship between the two. US officials suspected that Megaspeed was directing Nvidia's advanced AI chips to China and reportedly concluded that Alice Huang was a Chinese intelligence asset.
The allegations have not been confirmed. The New York Times also reported that Alice Huang had been recruited by China's Ministry of State Security to gather information about Jensen Huang, citing a memo circulated within the Trump administration.
Nvidia's board announced on Sunday that a committee of independent directors, assisted by outside legal counsel, would investigate all available information to determine whether Huang had been the target of a foreign intelligence effort. The board said it had no reason to believe that national security or Nvidia secrets had been compromised.
Huang said he supported the investigation. The company had previously told the New York Times that his interactions with Alice Huang were not unusual or unexpected, describing customer meetings as part of his role.
Jensen Huang and Alice Huang
Nvidia's $4.5 trillion valuation comes under pressure
Nvidia's market value also declined as investors reacted to the developments. Forbes put the company's market capitalisation at $4.5 trillion at Friday's close, compared with $4.24 trillion by 1:30 p.m. EST on Monday.The scrutiny comes at a sensitive time for Nvidia. Huang has led the company for years and is widely viewed as central to its success. Investors may also be weighing the possibility that the board's investigation could create questions about his future at the company.
US president Donald Trump defended Huang on Sunday night, calling him an “honorable guy” and saying he would still include the Nvidia CEO on his upcoming trip to China, as per Forbes report. Huang has also become an ally and technology adviser to Trump, whose administration rolled back Biden-era rules introduced in 2022 that restricted global exports of AI chips.