Musk Says He Will Sign Petition to Reinstate Nvidia’s Jensen Huang

Musk posted the remark at 23:51 Istanbul time, in a reply to Yun-Ta Tsai, a Tesla senior staff engineer. Tsai had argued that Nvidia employees who want Huang back should resign, starting from the company’s slogan, “NVIDIA is nothing without its people.”

“A petition is underway to reinstate Jensen and I’m signing it too,” Musk wrote on X. He did not name the campaign or attach a link, and there was no immediate confirmation that he had signed a specific petition.

Musk Leaves the Petition Unnamed

The post came a day after Nvidia said its board had accepted Huang’s resignation as president, chief executive and a director, and named finance chief Colette Kress as interim CEO. A Form 8-K said the board accepted the resignation on Nov. 11.

On Wednesday, Musk had replied “That would be an honor” when asked to hire Huang, after The Wall Street Journal reported that Nvidia’s board was preparing to oust the co-founder.

Staff Call for Huang’s Return

WIRED, citing internal correspondence, reported that a suggestion-box post submitted before the resignation by a longtime Nvidia engineer, asking the board to weigh staff sentiment, had drawn more than 1,600 comments, most of them in support of bringing Huang back.

“If you believe in the mission, bring back THE boss,” one anonymous commenter wrote, according to the magazine. Another said Huang “needs a second chance.” An employee also sent a companywide email that said, “I stand by Jensen.” WIRED said Nvidia and board chair Harvey Jones did not immediately comment.

Public Campaigns Circulate Online

A separate Change.org petition titled “Bring Jensen Huang back as Nvidia CEO,” started on Nov. 12 by Mohamed Adany, a self-described Nvidia shareholder, had 170 verified signatures when reviewed Friday evening. The page calls the request independent, nonbinding and unaffiliated with Nvidia or Huang.

Musk did not refer to that petition, to the internal post, or to a letter circulating on social media that purported to show hundreds of employees demanding Huang’s return and threatening to join a SpaceX chip project. The letter’s authenticity has not been confirmed, and its wording closely tracks a 2023 OpenAI staff letter issued after Sam Altman’s ouster.

Board Has Already Named Interim Chief

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and had been its only chief executive. The board opened an independent investigation this month after reports of a romantic relationship with Alice Huang, a woman U.S. officials have linked to Chinese intelligence, and of further alleged affairs.

Bloomberg later reported that directors gave Huang no choice but to resign. Kress remains chief financial officer while she serves as interim chief. The board is searching for a permanent successor.