‘I hope you die’: Inside Jensen Huang’s alleged tirades against Nvidia employees
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA: Former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang allegedly subjected employees and senior executives to humiliating verbal attacks, explosive outbursts and public dressing-downs during his time leading the chip giant.
A report citing sources close to the company described a workplace culture in which employees allegedly feared being berated by Huang during lengthy meetings. The accounts offered a different picture of the 63-year-old executive, who cultivated a public image of humility and often spoke about his early struggles and beginnings as a dishwasher.
Jensen Huang allegedly berated executives during meetings
One of the most striking incidents reportedly took place in February 2026, during a closed-door meeting attended by more than 30 executives. Huang allegedly singled out Jay Puri, then Nvidia's executive vice president of worldwide field operations, and told him, “I hope you get the flu and I hope it gets worse. I hope you die and put us all out of our misery.”
According to a source familiar with the incident, Puri remained silent as other executives watched. The report said the issue that prompted the confrontation was not immediately known. Puri has since moved into a senior adviser role at Nvidia and could not immediately be reached for comment.
A New York Post report described several other incidents in which Huang allegedly lashed out at senior employees in front of colleagues.
During a three-hour meeting in 2025, Huang reportedly confronted a senior sales executive in front of approximately 40 employees, telling him: “You don't know d**k about my business.”
In another reported incident, Huang allegedly accused an executive of smirking during a meeting and shouted: “Are you smirking at me? I see nothing but dead faces … Get out!” before ordering the executive to leave the room.
Sources also described an incident at Nvidia's headquarters in Santa Clara, California, in which Huang allegedly threw a water bottle at a senior executive during a meeting.
The report said Huang's outbursts were familiar to employees, with one source describing his verbal attacks as typical, although the comment directed at Puri reportedly left those present particularly shocked.
More than 60 senior executives reportedly reported directly to Jensen Huang
Huang's management structure may have contributed to the intensity of his interactions with employees, according to the report. More than 60 of Nvidia's top executives reportedly reported directly to him, giving him an unusually broad span of control.
His confrontational approach was not limited to employees. The report also described an incident at a conference in Berlin where Huang criticised several technology CEOs who were Nvidia customers.
He reportedly recounted an experience at a Japanese soup restaurant, praising a vendor who refused to serve him a second bowl because other customers were waiting. Huang allegedly used the example to criticise the executives for failing to establish the value of Nvidia's products.
Jensen Huang's alleged workplace outbursts add to scrutiny following his departure
The allegations came days after Huang's departure as Nvidia CEO on November 12, following mounting scrutiny over his personal life and the company's reported connections to Singapore-based firm Megaspeed.
Huang had admitted to being unfaithful to his wife, Lori Huang, while separate reports raised questions about his alleged relationships and dealings involving Alice Huang. The allegations surrounding Alice and Megaspeed have also drawn attention from US lawmakers examining Nvidia's business and potential chip-export violations. Megaspeed has denied wrongdoing.
Nvidia's chief financial officer, Colette Kress, has taken over as interim CEO while the company's board searches for a permanent successor.
