Nvidia's Huang tries to project 'business as usual' in return to office after affair revelation

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang walked into the chipmaker's Santa Clara, California, headquarters on Monday and conducted his regular morning meeting with top-level executives, people familiar with the meeting told CNBC. On Sunday, Huang had disclosed an extramarital affair to employees. Huang kicked off the closed-door gathering by addressing his infidelity and sharing how sorry he was to his staff, according to the people, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly. They said Huang didn't take any questions and quickly pivoted to business and top agenda items of the day. The CEO was also in the office on Tuesday, conducting meetings just one week ahead of the company's quarterly earnings report. Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. People inside the artificial intelligence chip giant said Huang tried to project "business as usual," even as the probe moved forward into his affair with an alleged Chinese spy. The CEO was in a romantic relationship with Alice Huang, a former Megaspeed executive, according to The Financial Times. Sentiment toward Jensen Huang shifted on Sunday after the 63-year-old revealed in an email to employees that he had an affair, though he did not disclose with whom he had the relationship. "I know an apology cannot undo what I have done," he wrote. "I hope our family will heal and that, over time, I can earn back your trust." Nvidia's board opened an investigation and hired Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to conduct the probe on Tuesday. Employees inside the firm described the mood to CNBC as "sad." One employee told CNBC that they were shocked by Jensen Huang's revelations. People also told CNBC that longtime employees viewed Jensen Huang as an idol who could do no wrong and thought of him as a guiding light. Many employees at the company are also struggling to come to grips with the CEO's actions, the people said. Jensen Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 to build graphics processing units for video game graphics. In recent years, the company has become synonymous with the AI boom, powering the technology that underpins large language models and the massive data center buildout. A central figure in the development of every AI layer, the Nvidia CEO is also a key voice in Washington, even accompanying President Donald Trump on his trip to China in May. In September, Jensen Huang and his wife were pictured at the same table as Chinese President Xi Jinping for the White House's state dinner. The news of the CEO's affair has drawn increased scrutiny on his continued support for more AI chip sales to China.