When tech founders leave, what happens to their companies?

Jensen Huang has resigned as Nvidia’s chief executive after reports of alleged affairs prompted scrutiny from US lawmakers, the board and shareholders. His departure raises questions about how much the chipmaker’s success and nearly $4 trillion valuation depend on a founder who has led it since co-founding the company in 1993.

Nvidia has appointed long-serving executive Colette Kress as interim chief and venture investor Harvey Jones as its first board chair. Analyst Dan Ives forecast the company’s value could fall by 25 to 30 percent without Huang; a Bain report found founder-led companies performed 2.1 times better than others from 2015 to 2025, rising to 2.6 times in technology. The article also compares Nvidia’s succession challenge with Tesla and SpaceX, where Elon Musk’s divided attention and voting control have shaped the companies’ governance.