Nvidia hires law firm to investigate CEO Jensen Huang's relationship with alleged Chinese spy

Nvidia has hired New York-based law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to conduct a “thorough and independent” investigation into the relationship between its chief executive, Jensen Huang, and Alice Huang, an alleged Chinese spy who is not related to the Nvidia boss.

The investigation will be led by Joon Kim, a Wachtell partner and former acting US attorney for the Southern District of New York. A committee of independent directors will oversee the probe.

Huang has acknowledged having a romantic relationship outside his marriage. On Sunday, he admitted he had been unfaithful to his wife without referring directly to Alice Huang. Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, was an executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed, which has been a customer of Nvidia.

Nvidia said it has no reason to believe that corporate secrets or US national security have been compromised. The company said Huang “fully supports the review and has committed to cooperating with it.”

The FBI is conducting its own probe. US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had spoken to Huang, who had said he had “no idea she was a spy.” Trump said he believed him.

Congressional leaders of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs have asked Huang to appear next week for a closed-door briefing. The committee has the authority to subpoena Huang if deemed necessary.

Beijing has rejected the espionage allegations, with its foreign ministry saying the claims were “intended to smear and malign China.”

Nvidia’s share price has fallen almost to a yearly low, with $500 billion wiped off its stock market value since Friday. The Guardian reported that the scandal has wiped $430bn off Nvidia’s value.

Nvidia is one of the world’s most valuable technology companies and a leading supplier of advanced chips used to develop artificial intelligence systems. Its position in the global AI industry has made the company particularly important to US national security interests, especially amid ongoing technological competition between Washington and Beijing.

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.