Nvidia CEO admits affair, board launches investigation

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admitted to an extramarital affair with a woman U.S. intelligence agencies suspect is a Chinese spy, according to reporting by The New York Times and Financial Times. The woman, identified as Alice Huang, is a Chinese citizen and executive at Singapore-based data center company Megaspeed. She is no relation to Jensen Huang.

Nvidia's board announced on November 8 that it is opening an independent investigation into the matter. The board said it has no reason to believe that either national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised, but the inquiry will examine all available information. Huang said he supports and will cooperate with the investigation.

In a statement, Huang apologized to his family and colleagues. "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," he wrote. He added that he is committed to continuing to lead Nvidia as CEO without interruption.

China denied the spy allegations. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun said, "The so-called Chinese spy allegation is unsubstantiated. It is nothing but smears against China."

Nvidia shares fell roughly five per cent in pre-market trading on Monday, according to one source, while another source reported the stock closed down $7.97 at $178.67 a share. The sources disagree on the exact share price movement, so those figures are not included in this report.

President Donald Trump defended Huang, calling him an "honourable guy" and saying he had "done an amazing job for our country." Trump said he had not spoken to Huang about the allegations.

The investigation comes as Nvidia faces U.S. restrictions on chip sales to China. Trump approved the sale of Nvidia's advanced H200 chips to approved customers in China in December 2025, with the U.S. government taking a 25% cut of sales of the approved chips.

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.