Elon Musk replied on X on 11 November that hiring Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang “would be an honor”, CNBC reported. The public reply comes amid a report that Nvidia’s board is preparing to discuss Huang’s future at the AI chipmaker.
Key points
- Musk answered financial blog Zerohedge’s suggestion that he hire Huang with: “That would be an honor.”
- The Wall Street Journal reported that Nvidia’s board was preparing to meet to discuss Huang’s future.
- Nvidia’s board has launched an investigation into matters involving Huang, according to The Times of India.
Musk answers Zerohedge on X
Zerohedge, a financial blog, posted “Elon please hire Jensen” on X. Musk, the chief executive of Tesla and founder of SpaceX, answered: “That would be an honor.” His response was to a suggestion from another account, rather than a proposal from Nvidia or Huang.
Musk’s reply drew attention from social media users, Gulte reported. Huang faces questions about his position at Nvidia, while Musk has publicly welcomed the idea of hiring him. The exchange itself consists of those two posts.
Nvidia board weighs Huang’s future
Nvidia’s board was preparing to meet as soon as 11 November to discuss Huang’s future, CNBC reported, citing The Wall Street Journal. AI Affairs previously reported the board’s preparations. Musk’s reply is the new development alongside that reported discussion.
Nvidia shares fell more than 8% in after-hours trading following reports about the board and a separate account of a relationship involving Huang. The reported meeting concerns Huang’s future at Nvidia. Musk’s post concerns what he would consider an honour.
Huang faces investigation and resignation calls
Huang has acknowledged an affair with Alice Huang, a business executive also known as Huang Le. US intelligence identified her as having been recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security, CNBC reported. People briefed on the intelligence said she was recruited to gather information on the Nvidia chief, in an account CNBC attributed to The New York Times.
Senator Kevin Cramer, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, has called for Huang to resign. “As a matter of his own conscience, he should resign,” Cramer said. Representative Suhas Subramanyam, a member of the House Oversight Committee, and Representative Don Bacon have also called for his resignation.
The Times of India reported that The New York Times had described a separate extramarital relationship between Huang and Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, who reports directly to him. Following Huang’s acknowledgement of his affair with Alice Huang, Nvidia’s board said it had launched an investigation. Law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is leading that investigation.
