Before Jensen Huang became the face of the artificial intelligence boom, he spent his teenage years working at a restaurant, washing dishes and serving customers. At 15, he took up a job at Denny's in Portland, Oregon, long before he co-founded Nvidia and turned it into one of the world's most valuable technology companies.

Years later, while talking about his personal life, Huang would describe himself as someone who had everything he could ask for, including a happy marriage. However, those comments have taken on a different meaning following the controversy that has now brought his Nvidia leadership to an end.In a 2025 interview with TIME, Huang spoke about the things he valued most in life.

Rather than talking only about his professional achievements and wealth, he mentioned his wife, Lori Huang, their adult children and two dogs. Asked whether there was anything he envied, the billionaire said he could not think of anything."I have a simple life, and I love that," Huang said towards the end of the conversation. "I can't imagine a more perfect life," he added.However, in November 2026, Huang admitted that he had been unfaithful to his wife.

In a message sent to Nvidia employees on November 8, he apologised to Lori and their children, taking responsibility for his actions. The admission came amid reports about his relationship with Alice Huang, a Singapore-based businesswoman suspected by US intelligence of having links to Chinese intelligence.

The controversy escalated after reports also linked Huang to Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare. Nvidia's board subsequently began examining whether its chief executive had been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation.

On November 12, the company announced that Huang had resigned as CEO, president and a member of its board, with immediate effect. CFO Colette Kress was appointed interim CEO as the company began looking for a permanent successor.Jensen Huang's early days as a restaurant worker and how Nvidia beganHuang's journey into the technology business began with a job that had little to do with computers or semiconductors.

He worked at Denny's as a teenager, taking on responsibilities that included washing dishes, clearing tables and waiting on customers. He spoke about the experience during an event organised by Denny's in September 2023, when the restaurant chain unveiled a plaque at its Silicon Valley outlet.

The location had a special connection to Nvidia because it was where Huang and his co-founders, Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem, discussed their business idea in 1993. The three friends wanted to develop a chip that could produce realistic 3D graphics on personal computers.

That meeting eventually led to the founding of Nvidia. Recalling his restaurant experience, Huang said, "I was a dishwasher, I was a busboy, I waited tables." He also joked about his ability to carry coffee cups, adding, "No one can carry more coffee cups than I can."Huang credited restaurant jobs with teaching people valuable lessons about work and dealing with others.

At the event, he encouraged young people to consider starting their careers in the restaurant industry.Who is Jensen Huang's wife Lori and how did they meet?Huang and Lori's relationship began long before Nvidia existed. The two met at Oregon State University, where they were studying electrical engineering.

Huang joined the university when he was 16 and met Lori the following year. They became lab partners and eventually married in 1985.

The couple have two children. During a visit to his alma mater in 2013, Huang recalled how meeting Lori had been one of the most important moments of his university life."For me, the number one person I met here was, undoubtedly, Lori," he said.Huang also revealed that he had made a promise to Lori when he was 20.

He told her that he would become a CEO before turning 30. Three years later, he co-founded Nvidia and took charge of the company as its CEO.Over the years, Huang has also acknowledged that building Nvidia meant making sacrifices at home.

While completing his master's degree at Stanford University and working on the company, he missed several of his children's karate tournaments and other family activities.Speaking on the podcast *How I Built This with Guy Raz*, Huang credited Lori with managing the household while he concentrated on his professional responsibilities."If you're going to build a company, you need somebody strong and you need somebody amazing like my wife. And she took care of everything," he said.Lori has also been involved in the couple's philanthropic initiatives through the Jen-Hsun and Lori Huang Foundation.

The couple donated $50 million to Oregon State University in 2022 for a research and education complex focused on artificial intelligence, materials science and robotics. They had earlier pledged $30 million to Stanford University to support its engineering centre.What is the controversy involving Jensen Huang?The controversy surrounding Huang involves reports of his relationship with Alice Huang, a businesswoman associated with Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed.

US intelligence reportedly suspected Alice Huang of having links to Chinese intelligence and using her association with Nvidia's chief to influence the company's business interests.These allegations also raised questions about Nvidia's dealings with China and the possibility of sensitive technology reaching Chinese companies. However, the espionage allegations have not been established, and China has denied the claims.Huang's November 8 message confirmed that he had been unfaithful but did not name the person involved.

He wrote: "I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children.

There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry."He also addressed his family directly, saying that he hoped they would eventually heal and that he could earn back their trust.The Nvidia board launched an independent investigation into whether Huang had been the target of a foreign intelligence operation.

The company said it had no reason to believe its secrets or US national security had been compromised, but would examine the available information.On November 12, Nvidia formally announced Huang's departure. Colette Kress, who has served as the company's chief financial officer since 2013, will lead it on an interim basis while the board considers internal and external candidates for the top job.Huang's exit ends his 33-year run at the company he helped establish in a Denny's restaurant.

His earlier comments about having a perfect life with Lori now sit against the backdrop of a very different personal and professional chapter.- Ends