Elon Musk Backs Jensen Huang Reinstatement Petition After Shock Nvidia Exit

Elon Musk backs Jensen Huang reinstatement at Nvidia, throwing his weight behind a campaign to bring the ousted founder back as chief executive one day after Huang's resignation ended his 33-year run at the world's most valuable chipmaker. In a post on X on Friday, November 13, 2026, Musk said he was signing a petition calling for Huang's reinstatement, giving the employee-led effort its most powerful backer. The intervention came as the Financial Times reported that Nvidia's board has approached Rene Haas, chief executive of Arm Holdings, as a potential successor.

Key Points

• Elon Musk said on X on Friday, November 13: "A petition is underway to reinstate Jensen and I'm signing it too." The post had about 145,000 likes.
• The petition, signed by current and former Nvidia employees, partners and shareholders, asks the board to bring Huang back while an independent investigation establishes the facts. It had about 14,846 signatures.
• The Financial Times reported on Friday that Nvidia's board has approached Arm chief executive Rene Haas as a potential successor, among several candidates.
• Nvidia has not formally engaged any candidate and is still selecting a search firm to run the process, according to the report.
• Nvidia shares fell 4.3% on November 12 and a further 3% on Friday, extending a six-week losing streak. Third-quarter results come Tuesday, November 17.

What Happened

Musk's endorsement arrived as a reply on X to Yun-Ta Tsai, a senior staff engineer at Tesla. "A petition is underway to reinstate Jensen and I'm signing it too," Musk wrote. The short post drew about 145,000 likes.

Musk did not identify the petition or share a link. Reuters noted it was unclear whether he meant the same internal employee initiative reported by WIRED, in which more than 1,600 Nvidia employees demanded Huang's return, or a separate public petition. The petition described in Friday's reporting had about 14,846 signatures from employees, partners and shareholders. Separately, the Financial Times reported that Nvidia's board has approached Rene Haas as a potential successor. Haas is among several candidates, but Nvidia has not formally engaged any candidate and is still selecting a search firm. Haas has led Arm, the SoftBank-backed British chip designer, since 2022.

Background: How Nvidia Lost Its Founder

Huang resigned on Thursday, November 12, 2026, after 33 years as chief executive, who built Nvidia from a graphics-chip start-up into the centre of the artificial intelligence revolution. The resignation followed reports of affairs, including one with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman whom United States officials suspect of being a Chinese intelligence asset. The New York Times also reported a second affair, with Nvidia health-care vice president Kimberly Powell.

More than 1,600 Nvidia employees demanded Huang's return in an internal initiative reported by WIRED. Huang resigned on Thursday, and chief financial officer Colette Kress stepped in as interim chief executive. The board opened an independent investigation, run by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and former acting US attorney Joon H. Kim; no findings have been published. Nvidia shares fell 4.3% on the day of the resignation and a further 3% on Friday, a six-week losing streak.

Elon Musk Backs Jensen Huang Reinstatement

Musk's post matters because of who he is. As chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX, he is one of the few business leaders whose opinion carries weight with Nvidia's board, its investors and its staff. His support changes the character of the campaign: what began as an internal staff petition now has a billionaire backer with a huge audience on the platform where the debate is happening. The petition's ask is modest: not that the board clear Huang, only that he return while the independent investigation establishes the facts. About 14,846 people had signed it by Friday.

There are limits to what Musk's backing can do. He holds no Nvidia shares that have been disclosed, he has no board seat, and the decision rests with directors who have already accepted Huang's resignation. His post may also complicate matters: the investigation is meant to be independent, and public pressure from one of the world's richest men to pre-judge its outcome will not make the directors' job easier.

Reactions and Quotes

Musk's own words were the quote of the day: "A petition is underway to reinstate Jensen and I'm signing it too." He offered no link and no identification of the petition. The Financial Times report on Haas was carefully worded: the board has approached Haas, he is among several candidates, and Nvidia has not formally engaged any candidate while it is still selecting a search firm, suggesting early soundings, not a closing choice. For context, see our report on how Huang misled Nvidia's top lawyer and marketing chief about the affair.

Why It Matters

Nvidia is not an ordinary company in trouble. Its chips power the data centres behind the artificial intelligence systems built by Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta and OpenAI, and its market value makes it a pillar of the United States stock market. The successor choice will say much about how the board reads the scandal: bringing Huang back signals the reports do not disqualify him, while hiring an outsider such as Haas signals a clean break. Musk's intervention raises the stakes: reinstatement will look like bowing to pressure, and refusal will need an explanation to the company's most famous supporter and much of its workforce.

What Happens Next

The immediate test comes on Tuesday, November 17, when Nvidia reports third-quarter results. Kress, as interim chief executive, will present the numbers and face analysts' questions about who is running the company. The independent investigation will run in parallel, and until its findings are published the board has reason to say nothing final. The search is still taking shape: the board has yet to appoint the search firm, and Haas is only one of several candidates. Congress is watching too: the Senate Banking Committee has summoned Huang to testify on December 3 and Lutnick on December 10.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Elon Musk sign a petition to bring back Jensen Huang?

Musk said on X on Friday, November 13, 2026, "A petition is underway to reinstate Jensen and I'm signing it too." He named no petition and shared no link; Reuters noted it was unclear whether he meant the WIRED-reported employee initiative.

Who is Rene Haas?

Rene Haas is chief executive of Arm Holdings, the SoftBank-backed British chip designer, since 2022. The Financial Times reported on Friday that Nvidia's board has approached him as a potential successor to Huang, among several candidates.

Why did Jensen Huang resign?

Huang resigned on Thursday, November 12, 2026, after 33 years as chief executive, amid reports of affairs, including one with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman US officials suspect of being a Chinese intelligence asset. The investigation continues; no findings have been published.

How many people signed the reinstatement petition?

About 14,846 people had signed the petition, including current and former Nvidia employees, partners and shareholders. Separately, over 1,600 Nvidia employees demanded his return in the WIRED-reported initiative.

When does Nvidia report earnings?

Nvidia reports third-quarter results on Tuesday, November 17, 2026. Interim chief executive Colette Kress will present them while the board's search for a permanent successor continues.