Nvidia announced on Sunday that its board is opening an independent investigation into whether Chief Executive Jensen Huang was targeted by Chinese intelligence after he admitted to an affair with a woman U.S. officials say worked for Beijing.
The probe follows a New York Times report last month that Huang had a close relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese executive at Singapore-based data center company Megaspeed whom U.S. intelligence suspects of spying for China. In a memo to employees, the 63-year-old CEO admitted he was "unfaithful to my wife," writing, "My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry." He added, "I love our country and our company. I am committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting America's national security."
Nvidia's board said it has "no reason to believe that either national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised," but will examine all available information in an inquiry overseen by a committee of independent directors assisted by outside counsel. The board said it "has confidence in Jensen and his leadership team," and that Huang supports the review and has committed to cooperating. He will remain CEO during the investigation.
U.S. officials have scrutinized Megaspeed, which buys AI chips from Nvidia, over suspicions it helped Beijing gain access to advanced semiconductors barred from shipment to China. Alice Huang, who previously worked as a reporter for Chinese state television, is considered by U.S. officials to be feeding information to Beijing, according to sources briefed on the surveillance. The company has become one of Nvidia's biggest customers in Southeast Asia, with chip purchases exceeding $4.8 billion in the last year.
President Donald Trump defended Huang on Sunday, saying, "I think he's an honorable guy. I think he probably has an excuse for it. He's done an amazing job for our country." According to the New York Times, Trump was briefed earlier this year about the relationship but chose not to act. Top Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives have called on Huang to brief Congress this month, writing in a letter dated November 4 that the report raises "significant national security concerns regarding China's access to sensitive U.S. technology and information."
The Chinese Embassy in Washington dismissed the allegations as "groundless smears and slanders." Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to comment on whether Huang was excluded from U.S. briefings. Huang and his wife attended a state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House in September. Nvidia, which has a market capitalization of roughly $4.5 trillion, said Huang talks with "thousands of customer executives every year."
