Nvidia director Persis Drell resigns from board, leaves with 1,43,000 shares and stock price gain of 22,000%

Chipmaker and $4 trillion company Nvidia Corporation notified the US Securities and Exchange Commission (US SEC) on January 23 (Friday) that executive Persis Drell has left the board of directors to “pursue a new professional opportunity,” according to a Bloomberg report.

According to the latest holding report, he leaves with around 1,43,000 Nvidia shares worth around $26 million; That’s a 22,000% increase since he joined the board 10 years ago, according to a CNBC report.

According to the Bloomberg report, the filing did not disclose what new professional move Drell had made, but he did try to explain that the resignation was not drastic. He left because of “any disagreement with the company regarding any matter related to the company’s operations, policies or practices,” the filing said.

He added that spokespeople for Nvidia, led by CEO Jensen Huang, did not immediately respond to questions on the matter.

How much Nvidia stock does Persis Drell hold?

As a board member of Nvidia, he sat on the Santa Clara, California-based chipmaker’s compensation committee. He added that he joined the board of directors in 2015.

Citing Nvidia’s annual report, CNBC noted that Drell left with 1,43,000 Nvidia shares worth $26 million and that his last year’s salary on the board was $3,44,000, including $2,59,000 in stock awards. It was stated that Drell sold approximately 40,000 Nvidia shares in 2025.

In particular, Nvidia’s stock price has increased by 22,000% since the end of 2015, making it the most valuable company in the world.

The report stated that Drell’s resignation was the second resignation from Nvidia’s board of directors after astronaut Ellen Ochoa left her seat in June. The board now includes 10 directors, including CEO Jensen Huang.

Who is Persis Drell? All we know…

According to the Bloomberg report, Persis Drell is a professor of physics, materials science and engineering at Stanford University in California, as well as a dean of the educational institution. It was added that he is 69 years old, according to Nvidia’s 2025 proxy file.

According to CNBC’s report, Drell has been a professor at Stanford University since 2002. He was dean of the university’s engineering school for four years (2014 to 2017) and provost of Stanford for eight years (2017 to 2023).

Drell also served as director of Stanford’s particle accelerator, called the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, or SLAC, for six years (2007 to 2012).

(With input from Bloomberg)