5 tech and startup leaders whose personal scandals shook their careers

They built successful businesses, shaped industries and became some of the most influential names in technology. But for some, it was controversy over their personal lives, rather than competition or business failure, that disrupted their careers.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is the latest tech leader to face such scrutiny. His admission of an extramarital affair has come amid allegations of foreign intelligence activity, an independent board investigation and a shareholder lawsuit. Huang continues to lead Nvidia with the backing of its board, and the intelligence-related allegations remain contested.

On November 9, Nvidia and Huang were named in a proposed shareholder class-action lawsuit alleging that they misled investors by failing to disclose his reported relationship with a businesswoman suspected by US authorities of working for Chinese intelligence, Reuters reported. The lawsuit followed Nvidia's November 8 announcement of an investigation into reports that Huang had been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. Nvidia has said it has no reason to believe company secrets or US national security have been compromised. China has rejected the espionage allegations.

Huang's controversy brings to mind five other cases involving prominent tech and startup executives in India and abroad, although the allegations and outcomes differ.

Phaneesh Murthy: The Indian IT executive dismissed by iGate

In May 2013, Phaneesh Murthy was dismissed as president and CEO of US-listed IT services company iGate following an investigation into his relationship with a subordinate employee. Murthy had earlier helped build Infosys' international business before leaving the company in 2002 following a sexual harassment lawsuit, which was subsequently settled out of court. He later founded Quintant Services, acquired by iGate, and went on to oversee iGate's expansion, including its $1.2 billion acquisition of Patni Computer Systems in 2011.

In a statement on May 20, 2013, iGate said an investigation by outside legal counsel had found that Murthy failed to disclose a relationship with a subordinate, violating company policy and his employment contract. The company said its investigation had not uncovered a violation of its sexual harassment policy at that stage. Murthy acknowledged the relationship but disputed the company's account of the disclosure and denied the harassment allegations. Following his dismissal, iGate shares fell approximately 13%, Reuters reported.

Murthy later founded IT advisory firm Primentor, where he has served as CEO. In June 2025, enterprise AI company Covasant announced his appointment as a strategic advisor to help expand its global business.

Arunabh Kumar: The TVF founder who stepped down but was later acquitted

In June 2017, Arunabh Kumar, founder of digital entertainment company The Viral Fever (TVF), stepped down as CEO after sexual harassment allegations surfaced against him. The allegations first appeared in an anonymous online account by a woman claiming to be a former TVF employee. Other women subsequently made similar allegations. Kumar denied wrongdoing. TVF's then Chief Operating Officer Dhawal Gusain took over as CEO, while Kumar continued as a mentor to the content team.

In September 2022, a Mumbai magistrate's court acquitted Kumar in a sexual harassment case registered against him in 2017. According to PTI, the court found that the prosecution had failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt, citing inconsistencies in the evidence and an unexplained delay in filing the complaint. The court also observed that the complaint could have arisen from a grudge or business rivalry.

Kumar remains associated with TVF. In January 2026, the company announced a leadership restructuring under which he would focus on mentoring producers and showrunners while remaining involved in select creative projects.

Brian Krzanich: The Intel CEO who resigned over a consensual relationship

Brian Krzanich resigned as Intel CEO in June 2018 after the chipmaker discovered that he had previously been involved in a consensual relationship with an employee. Krzanich had spent more than three decades at Intel, joining as an engineer in 1982 before becoming CEO in 2013. Intel said an investigation by internal and external counsel confirmed that the relationship violated its non-fraternisation policy, which applied to all managers.

The board accepted his resignation and appointed Chief Financial Officer Robert Swan as interim CEO. Intel described the relationship as consensual and did not publicly establish that it was extramarital. The company did not announce any finding of sexual harassment.

Krzanich returned to a top executive position in October 2024, when he became president and CEO of Cerence, a Nasdaq-listed company developing AI-powered technology for the automotive industry. He continues to lead the company.

Andy Rubin: The Android creator and Google's $90M controversy

Andy Rubin, widely credited with creating Android, left Google in 2014 after helping establish the mobile operating system as a global platform. His departure was initially presented as amicable. However, a 2018 New York Times investigation reported that Google had investigated a sexual misconduct complaint involving Rubin and a female employee with whom he had been having an extramarital relationship.

The newspaper reported that Google had found the employee's allegation credible and that Rubin had received a $90 million exit package. Rubin denied the sexual misconduct allegations and disputed reports that he had been forced to leave Google. The revelations prompted protests involving thousands of Google employees in 2018 over the company's handling of sexual misconduct complaints and accountability for senior executives.

After leaving Google, Rubin founded technology investment firm Playground Global and smartphone company Essential Products, which shut down in 2020. In November 2025, The Information reported that he had launched Genki Robotics, a Tokyo-based startup working on humanoid robots. Rubin confirmed his involvement in the venture but declined to share further details.

Mark Hurd: The HP CEO who resigned following a conduct investigation

Mark Hurd resigned as chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard in August 2010 following an investigation prompted by a sexual harassment complaint from a former company contractor. HP said the investigation found no violation of its sexual harassment policy but identified breaches of its business conduct standards. Contemporaneous reports said the investigation had uncovered inaccurate expense reports involving Hurd's interactions with the contractor, who subsequently stated that they had not had a sexual relationship.

Hurd's departure was therefore linked to findings concerning business conduct, not a substantiated sexual harassment allegation or a confirmed extramarital affair. He subsequently joined Oracle, becoming its co-CEO in 2014. Hurd died on October 18, 2019, aged 62, after taking medical leave the previous month.

What the reported cases don't tell us

These five cases attracted significant media attention. But there is no reliable public count of how many workplace relationship disputes or misconduct complaints involving senior executives are handled internally or never formally reported.

Aon's 2024 Voice of Women study, which surveyed nearly 24,000 professional women across more than 560 Indian companies, found that 6% had experienced sexual harassment at least once. Fewer than half of those affected formally reported the incident to their employer. The survey did not specifically examine misconduct involving CEOs or senior executives, and cannot establish how many such cases remain undisclosed.

The circumstances of the five executives differ. Some resigned after company investigations identified policy violations. Others stepped down amid allegations they denied, while Kumar was subsequently acquitted. In Huang's case, Nvidia's investigation is ongoing and the intelligence-related allegations remain contested. He continues to lead the company with the board's support.

Feature image: Nihar Apte