Elon Musk has responded to a joking request to hire Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, saying it “would be an honor”, as reports swirl that Nvidia’s board is preparing to remove Huang over his relationships with two women.
The exchange took place on X. The popular finance account ZeroHedge wrote, “Elon please hire Jensen.” Roughly an hour and a half later, Musk replied, “That would be an honor.” At the time of the screenshots, ZeroHedge’s post had about 528,000 views and 12,000 likes, while Musk’s reply had around 278,000 views and 12,000 likes.
A Joke, Not A Job Offer
Nothing in the exchange suggests an actual discussion between Musk and Huang. ZeroHedge’s post was framed as a quip, and Musk’s reply reads as a light, flattering response rather than an announcement. Huang has not been removed from his role, and neither Huang nor Nvidia has said anything about him leaving. Musk has not said what role he would offer, or whether he has contacted Huang.
Still, the reply is notable given how fast the situation around Huang has moved. Nvidia’s board has opened an independent investigation, and reports in the past few days have said the company is already thinking about what comes next.
How The Ouster Reports Built Up
On November 8, Huang told employees in a memo that he had been unfaithful to his wife, after earlier reporting that US officials believed a Megaspeed executive, Alice Huang, who is no relation to him, was a Chinese intelligence asset. On Wednesday, the New York Times reported that Huang also had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, who reports to him. Nvidia, Huang and Powell have not confirmed that report, and the board’s investigation is ongoing. Details on Powell are in this profile of her career at Nvidia, and she has since cancelled an appearance at the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit.
The Wall Street Journal then reported that the board is preparing to oust Huang, citing people familiar with the matter. Bloomberg followed with a report that the board is working with an outside firm to identify possible successors and could name a temporary chief. Nvidia’s shares fell nearly 8% in after-hours trade after the Times report.
Why The Reply Got Attention
Huang is one of the most recognisable figures in the AI industry, and Musk’s companies, including xAI, are among the large buyers of the GPUs Nvidia sells. A public exchange between the two men’s orbits, even a tongue-in-cheek one, tends to get noticed in that context. It also shows how quickly the possibility of Huang’s exit has become a topic for jokes on X, even as the board’s process plays out.