The key facts

  • Nvidia's board of directors has launched an investigation into CEO Jensen Huang following reports that he was the 'target of a foreign intelligence operation'.
  • According to The New York Times, the issue involves Alice Huang from Megaspeed, who, according to US intelligence, allegedly transmitted information to Beijing.
  • The board stated there is 'no reason to believe' that Nvidia's national security or trade secrets have been compromised.

What happened

Nvidia's board of directors announced the launch of an investigation into CEO Jensen Huang following reports that he was the 'target of a foreign intelligence operation'. The trigger was a publication by The New York Times, which stated that Huang admitted to the board that he had been 'unfaithful' with a business executive who, according to US intelligence, was gathering information for China. This is reported by Euronews..

The admission and the letter to employees

In a letter to Nvidia employees, 63-year-old Huang took 'full responsibility', admitting to cheating on his wife, and apologized to his family and colleagues. He did not mention the name of the woman involved or her alleged ties to Beijing. 'Leading Nvidia is the privilege of my life. My duty is to serve you and be worthy of your trust. I have not fulfilled this duty,' he wrote. Huang also stated: 'I love our country and our company. I intend to protect Nvidia and uphold America's national security.'

Who is Alice Huang and what is known about the case

Last month, The New York Times reported that US intelligence agencies determined that Jensen Huang had become close to Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen and chip buyer, who directly transmitted information to Beijing. Alice Huang is a top executive at Megaspeed, a company managing a data center in Singapore and becoming one of Nvidia's largest clients in Southeast Asia. The context of the situation is linked to the fact that Nvidia's advanced chips, which power many data centers and systems for training AI models, fall under US export restrictions designed to prevent China from accessing the latest semiconductor technologies.

Response from the board of directors and the White House

The board of directors of one of the world's most valuable companies stated there is 'no reason to believe' that Nvidia's national security or trade secrets have been compromised, but it will conduct a thorough investigation. According to the board, Huang 'fully supports the investigation and has committed to cooperating with it'. US President Donald Trump, responding on Sunday to a question about whether he should have reacted earlier to the intelligence reports, praised Huang: 'I think he is a decent guy. He probably has an explanation. He has done an amazing job for our country.'