Nvidia Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress has been appointed interim CEO. (Nvidia)

Nvidia Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress Thursday was appointed interim CEO as Jensen Huang is stepping down, leaving the AI industry without its biggest champion and clouding the future of the chipmaker he built into an AI powerhouse.

Nvidia looks for a permanent successor, the company said on Thursday. Huang, who co-founded Nvidia and is its fourth-largest investor with a stake of about 3.61%, will not remain on the board.

Pressure has been mounting on Huang in recent days after reports said the 63-year-old, who is married, had an affair with a Chinese businesswoman whom US authorities suspect of spying for Beijing.

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From CFO to CEO The Colette Kress story

Jensen Huang has resigned. Nvidia’s finance chief of 13 years is now running the AI chip giant, for now.…