New York, Nov 12 (V7N)- Nvidia's board of directors is reportedly preparing to discuss the future of longtime chief executive officer Jensen Huang, amid fresh allegations concerning his personal life. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress and senior engineer Ian Buck have emerged as potential successors.

The reported leadership uncertainty follows new allegations of extramarital affairs involving Huang. Earlier reports had also linked him to a woman accused of spying for China. The allegations have raised questions about his future at the world's leading chipmaker.

According to a Reuters report, Huang has never formally designated a successor. However, investors and market analysts have identified Kress and Buck as possible candidates to take over the company's leadership in the short term.

Kress, 59, joined Nvidia in 2013 after previously working at Microsoft, Cisco and Texas Instruments. She has overseen the company's financial operations for years and regularly appeared alongside Huang at earnings press conferences. Some board members reportedly favour appointing her as interim CEO to manage the company during the current uncertainty.

Buck, meanwhile, is being considered for his technical expertise. He joined Nvidia in 2004 and played a key role in developing the company's CUDA software platform. He currently leads products in Nvidia's Hyperscale AI division and holds a PhD from Stanford University.

Analysts say the board could consider appointing an engineer as permanent CEO to maintain Nvidia's technological leadership. A temporary joint leadership arrangement, dividing business and technical responsibilities, is also among the possibilities being discussed.

Arm CEO Rene Haas, a former Nvidia executive with extensive semiconductor industry experience, has also been mentioned as a potential external candidate.

The uncertainty surrounding Huang's leadership has reportedly affected Nvidia's stock performance. The company's market value has fallen by nearly $600 billion this week, causing it to lose its position as the world's most valuable company and drop to second place.

END/SMA/AJ