Nvidia's independent board members have retained Joon H. Kim and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to investigate CEO Jensen Huang's acknowledged relationship with Alice Huang, whom U.S. officials believe worked for China's Ministry of State Security.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Nvidia's board has opened an independent investigation into CEO Jensen Huang over his acknowledged romantic relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed whom U.S. officials concluded was working for China's Ministry of State Security, according to the New York Times as reported by the Washington Examiner.
Nvidia said Tuesday that independent members of its board retained Joon H. Kim, a former acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and his firm, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, to conduct the inquiry the board announced Sunday. The investigation will be conducted by a committee of independent directors, assisted by outside counsel, the board has said. Stephen Neal, lead independent director, is heading the board's investigative committee.
The board said Sunday it had confidence in Huang and "no reason to believe that either national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised."
Senate Republicans pressed for answers over the allegations. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) told the Washington Examiner, "I lost my breath," and said the matter needs investigation. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said the reported intelligence should have prompted the FBI to warn Huang directly in what is known as a defensive briefing.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said earlier on Tuesday he was prepared to take up the matter through the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. "There absolutely must be a Senate investigation," Blumenthal said.
Megaspeed had drawn public scrutiny months before Jensen Huang acknowledged the relationship. In a May 13 thread on X, Culper Research said it believed Nvidia had "a significant China problem," alleging that advanced Nvidia chips were reaching China through Southeast Asian intermediaries and pointing to Megaspeed as part of that network. Culper disclosed that it held a short position in Nvidia, meaning it stood to profit if the stock fell.
The New York Times reported over the weekend that the Commerce Department approved roughly two dozen Chinese firms to buy or handle H200 chips, including some with ties to blacklisted companies or Chinese military suppliers. The department said it reviews all applications for national security risks.
China's Foreign Ministry dismissed the espionage allegation on Monday. Trump said Monday that he did not know about the relationship at the time of the trip, and the White House disputed the New York Times's account that Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One in May.
Republican lawmakers have asked Huang to appear for a closed-door briefing on Nov. 18 about his interactions with Alice Huang and Nvidia's safeguards against foreign espionage.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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