Investigations into whether Nvidia's CEO was the target of a "foreign intelligence effort" are raising questions about the future of the chipmaker, which became one of the world's most valuable companies by providing technology that powered the artificial intelligence boom.

Jensen Huang has been synonymous with Nvidia since he co-founded it more than 30 years ago.

The company now faces potential damage to its reputation and stock price, uncertainty over a possible successor and new scrutiny from shareholders and elected officials.