Jensen Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993, and for many observers he and the company have become almost inseparable. Reports suggest the leather-jacket-clad Nvidia chief executive may soon be ousted from the chipmaker over a series of alleged extramarital affairs.

Huang is widely credited with building Nvidia into the powerhouse it is today, a position that has placed the company at the center of the artificial intelligence boom. Commentary on the reports has framed Nvidia's chips as a critical strategic asset for the United States.S1S2

The reports raise the question of what a leadership change would mean for the company he built. Coverage has focused on how much of Nvidia's identity and direction is tied to one founder, and what his potential exit could mean for the chipmaker's future.S2