Nvidia board opens investigation into CEO Jensen Huang's relationship with alleged Chinese spy

Nvidia's board of directors has launched an independent investigation into reports that CEO Jensen Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort, the company announced Sunday.

The probe follows Huang's admission that he was unfaithful to his wife. In a letter emailed to employees and posted on the company's website, Huang wrote: "I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry."

The New York Times reported that Huang had a relationship with Megaspeed executive Alice Huang, whom U.S. intelligence has identified as a Chinese intelligence asset. The Times, citing people briefed on the intelligence, reported that the executive was recruited to collect intelligence on Huang in an effort to learn more about U.S. AI chips and possibly influence the company to push for its most advanced chips to be made available to China.

Nvidia's board said it has "no reason to believe" that either national security or the company's secrets were compromised, but would examine "all available information." A committee of independent directors will oversee the investigation with help from outside counsel. The board said it has confidence in Jensen and his leadership team, and would provide further updates as appropriate.

Huang, 63, will remain CEO during the investigation. He said he supports the board's independent investigation and would cooperate fully, and asked that his family be given privacy. In his letter, he also wrote: "you deserve better from me," and "I have fallen short of that responsibility. I am fully committed to NVIDIA and will work to earn back your confidence."

Congressional probe

While the investigation is ongoing, the U.S. House of Representatives is launching its own probe. Three Republicans, Brian Mast, John Moolenaar and Rick Crawford, sent a letter Nov. 5 requesting Huang appear before their committees for a joint, closed-door briefing on his interactions with Alice Huang. Mast chairs the House Foreign Affairs committee, Crawford chairs the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Moolenaar chairs the Select Committee on China.

In a news release, the three lawmakers wrote: "Recent reports raise significant national security concerns regarding the PRC's access to sensitive U.S. technology and information." They added: "The issue of PRC infiltration and access to cutting-edge U.S. technology is core to the investigative work of our three committees this Congress. It is vital that Congress determines the extent to which U.S. national security has been placed at risk."

They have asked Huang to brief their committees on Nov. 18 or to provide an alternative date by Nov. 11.

Government response

President Donald Trump addressed the reports at his Halloween party, calling the situation "very complex" and saying he hoped everything was OK with Jensen Huang, who serves on the president's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. The president has called Huang "smart" and "amazing," insisting that Huang accompany him on foreign trips.

"I've always found Jensen Huang to be very aboveboard," Trump told reporters on Oct. 31, adding that the administration would look into the matter "very closely."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday as he was departing the US for a G7 meeting in Paris that he could not address the situation with Huang. "I just can't comment because of the nature of it," he told reporters. "And I also can't comment on an internal corporate matter that's going on with Nvidia."

Why it matters

Nvidia is a central player in the global race to develop AI, with its chips powering many of the data centers and computing systems used to train and run AI models. Its advanced processors have also been a focus of U.S. export restrictions aimed at limiting China's access to cutting-edge semiconductor technology. The Times reported that Megaspeed bought more than $4.8 billion worth of Nvidia chips over the past two years, and that U.S. intelligence suspects Megaspeed may have served as an intermediary in the AI competition between China and the U.S.

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Sources

• globalnews.ca: ‘I love our country’ Nvidia CEO regrets affair with alleged China spy - National | Globalnews.ca
• tw.news.yahoo.com (in Chinese): Jensen Huang Admits 'I Was Unfaithful to My Wife'! Exposed for Ambiguous Relationship with Female Communist Spy, Nvidia Launches Investigation
• udn.com (in Chinese): Jensen Huang Admits to Extramarital Affair with Chinese Female Spy; Nvidia Launches Investigation | Global Finance | Global | United Daily News
• france24.com: Nvidia to probe reports that Chinese intelligence targeted CEO Jensen Huang - France 24
• thestar.com: Nvidia board to probe spying case after CEO admits affair

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.