Elon Musk and tech executives sign petition urging Nvidia to reinstate Jensen Huang

A petition demanding that Nvidia restore its recently ousted CEO Jensen Huang has reached more than 115,000 signatures as of Saturday afternoon. The online campaign includes 5,965 current Nvidia employees, 1,108 former staff members, and 63,063 shareholders.

High-profile supporters of the petition include Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, Replit CEO Amjad Masad, and Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan. The document claims that signers are “concerned that Jensen was removed without meaningful due process” and urges the board to “bring him back while an independent investigation establishes the facts.”

The petition further calls for a fair investigation and greater transparency for the public, stating, “Jensen deserves due process, not mob justice.” Mr Huang stood down on Thursday, just four days after admitting to an affair with a chip executive who is allegedly suspected by U.S. intelligence of being a Chinese spy.

According to reports, the former CEO has committed to testifying before Congress, and there are claims that he was involved in various other extramarital affairs. Nvidia has named CFO Colette Kress as the interim CEO while they look for a permanent successor. Following the departure, the company’s share price dropped significantly throughout the week, and analysts suggest his exit will create a major void in AI industry funding.