Colette Kress's fortune has become a talking point as Nvidia faces a leadership crisis. The company's chief financial officer has been named interim CEO after Jensen Huang resigned on Thursday, placing the veteran finance executive in charge of the world's most valuable AI chipmaker.
Kress's wealth is closely linked to her Nvidia shareholding. Her stake was worth approximately $750 million at Wednesday's closing price, according to estimates based on her reported holdings. That was already down from more than $1 billion when Nvidia shares peaked last month. Today's sharp sell-off also reduced its value further.
Forbes ranked Kress at No. 32 on its 2026 list of America's Richest Self-Made Women. The publication estimated her net worth at $1.2 billion as of June 3, 2026.
How Colette Kress built her Nvidia fortune?
Kress joined Nvidia in 2013 as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Before moving to the chipmaker, she spent 13 years at Microsoft and three years as CFO of a Cisco business division.
Her financial leadership coincided with Nvidia's transformation from a graphics processor manufacturer into the central supplier of chips powering the global AI boom. The company's rapid expansion in data centre revenue and its growing role in AI infrastructure helped drive its stock market valuation higher.
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Nvidia's 2026 annual report disclosed that Kress beneficially owned approximately 4.44 million shares as of March 23. This shareholding provides the foundation for estimates of her market-linked wealth.
Kress's elevation to interim CEO now gives her a far bigger responsibility than managing Nvidia's finances. She must oversee the company during a sensitive period involving leadership succession, export restrictions, AI competition and questions about its relationship with China.
Her fortune will continue to fluctuate with Nvidia's share price. But her appointment has made her one of the most closely watched executives in the global technology industry.
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