Nvidia probes CEO Huang over ties to alleged Chinese spy
The company says its board is checking for foreign intelligence targeting while Huang continues leading operations.
By Lucas Collins ·
Nvidia has launched an independent investigation into the personal relationship between CEO Jensen Huang and Alice Huang, a businesswoman whom U.S. intelligence agencies believe is a Chinese spy. The board announced the inquiry in a statement sent to staff on Sunday, noting that it aims to examine all available information regarding the alleged foreign intelligence effort.
Jensen Huang admitted in an email to employees that he had an affair with Alice Huang. He described the relationship as a period when he was unfaithful to his wife, stating that his actions hurt her and their children. "There is no excuse for what I did," he wrote, adding that he is deeply sorry. The CEO confirmed that the board of directors had opened the probe into the spying allegations.
The scrutiny follows reports that Alice Huang is affiliated with Megaspeed, a cloud company and Nvidia customer. U.S. intelligence agencies have expressed concern that Megaspeed helped restricted Chinese companies acquire Nvidia AI chips. Nvidia representatives previously stated that Megaspeed had already been investigated for evading export controls.
The situation arises as Nvidia sits at the center of a trade dispute between the U.S. and China. The U.S. government restricts exports of the company's most advanced AI chips to Beijing, though it has approved the sale of certain older models. Jensen Huang has pushed for broader AI chip exports to China, arguing that it benefits the U.S. if the world builds on American technology. He has also aligned with President Donald Trump on American artificial intelligence policy.
The Nvidia board stated it has no reason to believe that national security or company secrets were compromised. However, the inquiry will review all details of the relationship. An Nvidia spokesperson said Jensen Huang is committed to continuing as CEO without interruption.
In his note to staff, Huang said he was proud and grateful to be an American. Three House Republican committee chairs sent a letter to Huang on Wednesday, asking him to sit for a closed-door briefing with lawmakers. That session is scheduled for Nov. 18.
Nvidia reports third-quarter earnings on Nov. 17. The company will also hold a major conference in Washington, D.C., at the end of the month.
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