The key facts

  • Trump called Jensen Huang 'a worthy man' and declined to impose restrictions against Nvidia
  • According to The New York Times, a secret intelligence memorandum about Huang's ties to an alleged Beijing agent was prepared in the spring
  • Huang admitted to Nvidia's board of directors that he had been unfaithful to his wife; the company is conducting an investigation

Trump sided with Huang

US President Donald Trump publicly defended Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang after reports of his relationship with a woman whom American intelligence considers an agent of Chinese intelligence services. 'I think he's a worthy man. I think he probably has an explanation. He should be heard out. He has done a tremendous job for our country,' Trump said on Sunday, responding to a question about reports of Huang's relationship and the review launched by Nvidia's board of directors. This was reported by Anadolu citing the president's words.

What is known about the intelligence memorandum

According to The New York Times, as cited by euronews, Secretary of State Marco Rubio oversaw the preparation of a secret intelligence memorandum warning senior administration officials about Huang's close relationship with an alleged Chinese agent. The document was drawn up in the spring and circulated among senior national security officials ahead of Trump's state visit to China in May.

The origin of the intelligence data

The basis of the intelligence, as Anadolu reports citing the NYT, was electronic surveillance of Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang (a namesake of the Nvidia CEO), who held a top executive position at the Singapore-based company Megaspeed International. The company was purchasing advanced AI processors while under federal investigation in a case involving semiconductor smuggling to mainland China. Intercepted communications pointed to an intimate relationship between Alice Huang and a certain US citizen; verification established that it was Jensen Huang. Counterintelligence concluded that the woman had been recruited by China's Ministry of State Security.

Why Trump did not act

Initially, Huang was not included in the official delegation accompanying Trump to China, but after media reports about his absence, the president, according to the NYT, intervened and arranged for the Nvidia CEO to board Air Force One during a refueling stop in Alaska, calling him 'magnificent Jensen Huang.' Trump refused to impose restrictions on Huang or the company, viewing, according to the outlet, Nvidia's dominance in the market as critically important for US economic competitiveness and financial markets. Asked whether he regretted not reacting to the intelligence earlier, Trump replied: 'I think he's a worthy man. I think he probably has an explanation.' In a comment to euronews, he added that he had not discussed the situation with Huang: 'I just know he's a good man, you never know what happens. I hope everything is fine.'

The review at Nvidia

As euronews reports, Huang, who heads one of the most valuable technology companies in the world, admitted to Nvidia's board of directors that he had an affair with the top executive whom American intelligence suspects of gathering information for Beijing. The company is conducting its own investigation into the incident. The publications do not report any legal or personnel consequences for Huang.