NEW DELHI: More than 132,000 people have signed a petition calling for NVIDIA's board to reinstate co-founder Jensen Huang as chief executive. Signatories are demanding answers and an independent probe into his abrupt exit after a 33-year tenure.
The petition, hosted on a campaign website titled 'Stand with Jensen', had recorded 133,326 names, according to its displayed counter. The signatories included 6,667 current NVIDIA employees, 1,251 former employees, 72,265 shareholders and 53,143 other supporters.
The open letter calls on the company's board to bring Huang back while an independent investigation establishes the facts, unless it can provide clear evidence that his removal serves the company's interests.
"33 years of leadership do not place anyone above accountability. But accountability requires evidence, a fair hearing, and a reasoned decision," the letter stated.
The campaign has also attracted support from prominent technology industry figures, including Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Replit CEO Amjad Masad and Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. Musk publicly confirmed his support for the petition on social media.
The development follows NVIDIA's November 12 announcement that Huang had resigned as president, chief executive and board member with immediate effect.
The company appointed Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO while its board begins searching for a permanent successor. Harvey C. Jones was also appointed chairman of the board.
Huang co-founded NVIDIA in 1993 and led the company for more than three decades, overseeing its transformation from a graphics processing unit (GPU) manufacturer into a major global supplier of chips powering artificial intelligence infrastructure.
His departure followed reports concerning his personal relationships and allegations involving a businesswoman suspected by US authorities of having links to Chinese intelligence. The intelligence-related allegations have not been independently established.
The petition organisers have argued that the circumstances surrounding his departure warrant greater transparency and a fair investigation before a permanent leadership decision is made.
The campaign is seeking three key actions from the board: Huang's reinstatement pending an independent investigation, a fair hearing and a timely public explanation of the decision and the evidence behind it.
The petition is an independent campaign and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NVIDIA or Huang.
(With inputs from ANI)
