Who is Kimberly Powell? Nvidia executive reportedly linked to CEO Jensen Huang

Washington: Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare, has come under the spotlight following a New York Times report alleging that she had a relationship with the company's CEO, Jensen Huang.

According to the report, Powell was among Huang's approximately 60 direct reports. The alleged relationship had not been reported earlier. Both Powell and Huang are married to other people.

The development comes amid scrutiny over Huang's personal life following reports of another extramarital relationship with Alice Huang, a senior executive at Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed.

Who is Kimberly Powell?

Powell, 48, joined Nvidia in 2008 and currently oversees its global healthcare business, according to the company's website.

Her responsibilities include the company's hardware and software platforms for accelerated computing, artificial intelligence and visualisation. These technologies are used in medical imaging, life sciences, drug discovery and healthcare analytics.

Before taking charge of Nvidia's healthcare business, Powell led its higher education and research operations. She was also involved in strategic evangelism programmes, NVIDIA AI Labs and the NVIDIA Inception programme.

Powell's career at the company has progressed through several leadership positions. According to her LinkedIn profile, she initially joined Nvidia to establish its graphics processing units (GPUs) as accelerator platforms for medical imaging equipment.

In 2016, she was promoted to senior director of artificial intelligence business development. By late 2017, she had become the company's vice president of healthcare.

She has also represented Nvidia at technology conferences across the world, delivering presentations on the company's work in artificial intelligence and healthcare.

At Nvidia's annual GTC developer conference in San Jose in March, Powell reportedly spoke about the potential of AI to drive advances in healthcare and biology. Her presentation also featured cartoon depictions of Huang.

The New York Times report said Huang and Powell were seen behaving affectionately at a hotel near the conference venue. A bystander reportedly captured the interaction on camera. According to three people familiar with the incident who spoke to the newspaper, Huang's security team confronted the person and made them sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Before joining Nvidia, Powell worked as a hardware engineer at DOME Imaging Systems between January 1999 and April 2003. She subsequently worked for more than five years at Planar Systems Inc.'s Medical Business Unit.

What is the Jensen Huang controversy?

The latest report follows Huang's acknowledgement of an extramarital relationship with Alice Huang, a senior executive at Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed.

The Wall Street Journal had earlier reported that the two were photographed together in Taipei in 2024 and 2025.

Separately, US intelligence reportedly circulated a memorandum alleging that Alice Huang was an asset of China's Ministry of State Security. The allegation has not been independently established.

In a note to Nvidia employees on Sunday, Jensen Huang acknowledged his relationship with Alice Huang, writing: "I was unfaithful to my wife."

The latest allegations involving Powell have added another dimension to the controversy surrounding the Nvidia chief.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that Nvidia's board was preparing to meet as early as Wednesday to discuss Huang's future, citing people familiar with the matter. The report also said the board was considering his possible removal.

The developments come at a time when Nvidia has emerged as one of the most influential companies in the global artificial intelligence industry, with its stock gaining significantly amid rising demand for AI chips.

Huang has also maintained a high-profile presence alongside US President Donald Trump at White House events. Last month, he received the National Medal of Science from Trump.

Nvidia shareholders have also filed a class-action lawsuit against Huang and the company, alleging that information about his relationship was not disclosed to investors. Nvidia shares have fallen in recent days following his admission.

Nvidia designs graphics processing units (GPUs), initially developed to handle complex visual processing in video games but now widely used in artificial intelligence and other advanced computing applications. Most of its processors are manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker.