Colette Kress Takes Nvidia Reins After Huang Resignation

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has stepped down following allegations linked to a suspected Chinese spy. Finance chief Colette Kress has been appointed interim CEO as the company begins its search for a permanent leader.

Kress has managed Nvidia's finances for 13 years. Her career spans Microsoft's early cloud expansion and legal disputes involving crypto revenue and stock sales.

1. Kress Was Named in Nvidia’s $5.5 Million Crypto Scandal

During the 2017 crypto boom, miners purchased gaming GPUs in large volumes. In 2022, the SEC imposed a $5.5 million fine on Nvidia for not disclosing that mining drove revenue growth.

Separately, shareholders accused Kress of misleading them about that demand.

A 2023 appeals court determined there were sufficient grounds to claim her statements were misleading, but it upheld the dismissal of charges against her because knowing or reckless misconduct was not adequately alleged.

The lawsuit against Nvidia and Huang continued, with investors securing class certification in March 2026.

A U.S. federal court ruled that a lawsuit against Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang over alleged concealment of crypto mining-related GPU revenue can proceed as a class action, covering investors between Aug. 10, 2017 and Nov. 15, 2018; plaintiffs claim Nvidia hid over $1 billion in… pic.twitter.com/fIv50rmP9J

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) March 26, 2026

2. Helped Microsoft’s Multibillion-Dollar Expansion

From 2006 to 2010, Kress served as finance chief of Microsoft’s Server and Tools division.

Revenue climbed from $11.2 billion in fiscal 2007 to $14.9 billion in fiscal 2010.

Microsoft introduced Azure during that period, though the growth cannot be credited solely to Kress.

3. Reported Republican Donations

The group 1792 Exchange reports $1,600 in Republican political donations from Kress, with none to Democrats.

It does not provide dates or supporting records. The figure has not been independently verified and does not confirm party affiliation.

4. Named in an AI Copyright Lawsuit

A shareholder lawsuit filed in July 2026 named Kress among Nvidia executives accused of allowing copyrighted books, videos, and voices to be used in AI development without permission.

These accusations remain unproven, with no finding of personal misconduct.

5. Sold $7.7 Million in Nvidia Stocks

Delaware Supreme Court records show Kress sold 36,333 Nvidia shares worth $7.7 million between October 2017 and September 2018 under a trading plan.

Shareholders raised questions about insider sales during the disputed crypto disclosure period. The litigation pointed to $147 million in alleged combined insider sales.

Neither figure proves illegal trading.