STOCKS | Jensen Huang Needs His Wife’s Consent to Sell Nvidia Shares

Former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang cannot freely dispose of his 3.58% stake in the company; his wife, Lori Huang, shares control over the sale of shares held in family trusts. According to Sina Finance, a filing submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on the 12th showed that the couple indirectly held assets through a trust established in 1995 and several other entities, including the Jensen Huang-Lori Huang Living Trust, two irrevocable trusts and six limited liability companies. As of March 23, Huang was associated with 870.6 million Nvidia shares. Of those, 669 million were held in three family trusts for which the couple were co-trustees, sharing authority over sales and shareholder votes. Huang held 70.1 million shares directly, valued at about $12 billion. Lori Huang chairs the couple’s foundation, while Huang serves as its secretary and chief financial officer. At the end of 2024, the foundation had assets of about $9.2 billion, including 58.7 million Nvidia shares. Media reports say Lori Huang separately manages another trust holding Nvidia shares worth about $5 billion. U.S. media have described the trust structure as making Huang’s asset management more complicated, while market analysis considers a concentrated sale by the couple that would sharply depress Nvidia shares unlikely. Without a prenuptial agreement, Lori Huang could receive assets worth as much as $75 billion to $77.5 billion in a divorce. Withers attorney Leslie Evans said sale restrictions would remain even if trust shares were divided, and one option would be for Huang to keep the shares and compensate his wife with cash or other assets. Lori Huang has not made any statement about a separation or divorce. Media reports also say Huang forfeited about $108 million in equity compensation when he left Nvidia; the award was conditional on continued employment and expired upon his departure. Media estimates put his total wealth at about $144.5 billion.