Nvidia's handshake deals hinge on Jensen Huang, Musk warns

Elon Musk warned that Nvidia will lose "critical" deals without CEO Jensen Huang, noting many agreements are "a handshake with Jensen, not a written contract," as investors urge the board to keep open the possibility of Huang returning as chief executive. Investors Altimeter Capital Management and Atreides Management have called for a cautious leadership transition approach. Separately, Reuters reported Huang misled senior executives about his relationship with Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang, with whom he had an affair, citing internal correspondence from October. Singapore seized Alice Huang's passport in June 2025 amid an investigation into suspected shipments of advanced Nvidia chips to China. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent blamed Commerce Secretary Lutnick for failing to ensure adequate export checks on chips to Megaspeed, which allegedly had access to Chinese funding.