Nvidia announced Sunday that its board of directors has launched an independent investigation following media reports that co-founder and Chief Executive Jensen Huang was the target of a Chinese intelligence operation.
The inquiry will be conducted by a committee of independent directors alongside outside legal counsel. In a statement released Sunday, the company noted that while it has found no evidence that proprietary secrets or national security were jeopardized, the panel will review all relevant details. Huang has expressed full backing for the inquiry and plans to cooperate completely, according to company statements.
Affair admitted in employee memo
The corporate announcement came after reports from The New York Times and the Financial Times revealed that Huang had an extramarital relationship with Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, an executive at the Singapore-based data center company Megaspeed. The two executives share a surname but are not related. U.S. intelligence officials determined that Alice Huang had been recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security to gather commercial information, according to reporting by the outlets.
In a staff memo shared with news organizations, Jensen Huang acknowledged the relationship and apologized for his conduct. “I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did,” Huang wrote, adding that he hopes to eventually regain the trust of his family, colleagues and shareholders.
Megaspeed has emerged as a major customer for Nvidia in Asia, purchasing more than $4.8 billion in computer chips during the past two years, Fortune reported. However, U.S. authorities had previously placed the firm under surveillance over suspicions that it helped circumvent federal export limits by funneling advanced artificial intelligence hardware into China. Megaspeed has previously denied smuggling allegations.
Political reactions in Washington
The controversy surrounding the head of the world’s leading AI chipmaker quickly reached Washington. Nvidia’s cutting-edge processors are subject to tight federal export controls designed to keep advanced technology out of Chinese military systems. Despite those constraints, Nvidia’s market value reached nearly $4.5 trillion as of Friday, NBC News reported.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, President Donald Trump defended the tech executive, describing Huang as an “honorable guy” who has achieved great things for the country and should remain in his post. Trump said he had no regrets about how earlier intelligence regarding Alice Huang was handled and added that he would welcome Jensen Huang on an upcoming presidential trip across Asia.
Other officials took a more cautious stance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Florida on Sunday that he could not comment on intelligence matters or Nvidia’s internal corporate decisions. Earlier reporting by The New York Times indicated that Rubio had circulated a memo outlining security worries regarding Alice Huang among top administration officials earlier in the year.
Capitol Hill leaders have signaled plans for formal oversight. House Republicans, including House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., asked Huang for closed-door briefings regarding Nvidia’s defensive safeguards against foreign espionage and its business ties to Megaspeed.
An Nvidia spokesperson said the probe would not interrupt business operations and confirmed that Huang intends to continue serving as chief executive while the board’s review moves forward.
