Will Jensen Huang be next? At least seven US-listed CEOs have resigned due to office romances in the past 20 years. Jensen Huang has been exposed for two extramarital affairs within a week, the second involving a senior executive who reports directly to him. According to the Wall Street Journal, Nvidia's board is considering removing him, and since the scandal broke, Nvidia's market value has evaporated by approximately $700 billion. Why can a personal relationship cost a CEO his job? In US-listed companies, relationships between executives and subordinates usually violate company code of conduct. Because superiors control subordinates' promotions and salaries, this easily involves conflicts of interest and workplace harassment risks. Boards often act swiftly for corporate governance and reputation reasons. From Boeing and Intel to McDonald's, there are numerous precedents. Former McDonald's CEO, Easterbrook, returned over $100 million to the company after being dismissed.