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BY Rob Walker

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Few CEOs have had as distinct a public image as Nvidia founder Jensen Huang. The leather jackets, the social media cameos resulting from his street-food enthusiasm, the theatrical optimism about an AI future powered in part by his company’s chips. For years, Huang’s personal brand has been effective and winning.

But now, of course, the revelation of an extramarital affair with a woman alleged to be a Chinese spy, and another with a subordinate, has thrown 63-year-old Huang’s reputation into a tailspin, and ultimately cost him his job, as he resigned under pressure from Nvidia’s board. As for that potent personal brand—it may well have worked against him.

Huang isn’t the first business figure to cultivate a high-flying public image, only to see it crash back to reality. Elon Musk rode a quirky mad genius vibe into hosting SNL in 2021 ; today his reputation is, let’s say, mixed.…