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Jensen Huang's public persona was carefully recognisable: the black leather jacket, the stories of humble beginnings and the insistence that Nvidia's success belonged to its employees.
Yet, behind the polished image of the company's chief executive, a different leadership style reportedly played out in meeting rooms – where executives were berated, employees were humiliated and disagreements could trigger explosive reactions.
The 63-year-old chipmaker, who recently resigned following revelations about his extramarital relationships, reportedly had a temper that left employees fearful of being publicly reprimanded during company meetings.
His behaviour was in contrast with the affable public image he cultivated through interviews, appearances in his trademark black leather jackets and stories about his humble beginnings.
According to sources familiar with Nvidia's internal affairs cited by The Post, Huang frequently lashed out at employees during lengthy meetings, sometimes in front of dozens of colleagues.
One particularly tense incident reportedly took place in February, when Huang verbally attacked Jay Puri, Nvidia's then-executive vice president of worldwide field operations, during a closed-door meeting attended by more than 30 senior executives.
"I hope you get the flu and I hope it gets worse," Huang reportedly told Puri. He then added, "I hope you die and put us all out of our misery," according to a source familiar with the incident.
Puri, who oversaw the company's sales and business development operations, reportedly remained silent during the confrontation. He has since moved into a senior adviser role at Nvidia.
The reason behind Huang's outburst was not immediately clear.
One source described the incident as particularly tense, saying that while Huang's habit of shouting at employees was well known, his remarks to Puri had left those present shocked.
WATER BOTTLE THROWN AT SENIOR EXECUTIVE
The confrontation with Puri was reportedly not an isolated incident. Sources told The Post that Huang had repeatedly reprimanded senior employees in front of their colleagues.
During a three-hour meeting in 2025, Huang reportedly lashed out at a senior sales executive in front of around 40 employees, telling the person, "You don't know d**k about my business."
In another incident, Huang reportedly confronted a senior executive attending a meeting with him for the first time. "Are you smirking at me? I see nothing but dead faces ... Get out!" he shouted before asking the executive to leave the room, according to sources.
The report also detailed an incident at Nvidia's headquarters in Santa Clara, California, in which Huang reportedly threw a water bottle at a senior executive during a meeting.
Huang's management style was also shaped by an unusual corporate structure in which more than 60 senior executives reported directly to him. According to one source, his outbursts were so familiar within the company that employees were surprised details of them had not emerged publicly earlier.
'DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS' REMARK TO INTERIM CEO
Huang's reported behaviour towards senior executives also included clashes with Colette Kress, Nvidia's chief financial officer, who has taken over as interim CEO following his resignation.
Huang had interrupted Kress during a meeting in August and described her as "a deer in the headlights" while she was making a presentation.
Stephen Witt, author of The Thinking Machine, a biography of Huang, also described the former CEO's difficult management style in an article for The New York Times.
Witt wrote that Huang often presented himself as a humble leader who praised employees and spoke about his early experiences working as a dishwasher. However, he argued that this public image concealed an intolerance for disagreement.
According to Witt, Huang had little patience for employees who challenged his views, and even minor disagreements could trigger angry outbursts.
HUANG RESIGNS AMID AFFAIR CONTROVERSY
The revelations about Huang's workplace behaviour come amid a controversy surrounding his personal relationships, which preceded his resignation as Nvidia's CEO.
Huang stepped down last week after reports emerged about multiple extramarital relationships, including one with Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang, who has been suspected by US authorities of having links to Chinese intelligence. The two are not related.
Reports have also linked Huang to relationships with at least two Nvidia employees, including the company's vice president of healthcare, Kimberly Powell.
Huang had earlier apologised for being unfaithful to his wife and disappointing the company. Reports also said he had misled senior executives about the nature of his relationship with Alice Huang, describing their interactions as routine business engagements.
Nvidia's chief financial officer, Colette Kress, is currently serving as interim CEO while the company's board searches for a permanent successor.
A spokesperson for Huang declined to comment on the latest allegations about his workplace conduct, while Nvidia did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment.
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