Nvidia Board Opens Independent Investigation Into CEO Jensen Huang's Relationship With Alleged Chinese Spy

Nvidia's board of directors has opened an independent investigation into reports that CEO Jensen Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort, the company said in a statement released on Sunday.

The investigation follows reports from The New York Times and the Financial Times linking Huang to Alice Huang, an executive at Singapore-based company Megaspeed. The New York Times reported that Huang had "developed a close relationship" with Alice Huang, who U.S. intelligence agencies had determined to be a Chinese intelligence asset. The Financial Times later reported that U.S. officials believe Jensen Huang was romantically involved with the alleged spy.

Jensen Huang admitted to an affair in a memo sent to staff on Sunday, per Bloomberg. In the message, Huang wrote: "I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did." He also said: "I am deeply sorry."

Nvidia's board said: "A committee of independent directors, assisted by outside independent counsel, will oversee the investigation. The Board prioritizes US national and economic security, which is paramount to the interests of NVIDIA and its shareholders. While the Board has no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised, the Board's inquiry will examine all available information."

The board added: "Jensen fully supports the review and has committed to cooperating with it. The Board has confidence in Jensen and his leadership team and will provide further updates as appropriate."

Megaspeed is a major buyer of NVIDIA chips and has been accused of helping restricted Chinese companies acquire NVIDIA AI chips. Nvidia representatives previously said that Megaspeed had already been investigated for evading export controls.

Three House Republican committee chairs sent a letter to Huang on Wednesday asking him to sit for a closed-door briefing with lawmakers on Nov. 18. Nvidia reports third-quarter earnings on Nov. 17 and will hold a major conference in Washington, D.C., at the end of the month.

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.