Nvidia’s board of directors has launched an independent investigation into chief executive and co-founder Jensen Huang after he confirmed an extramarital affair with a woman whom US officials have identified as working for Chinese intelligence—an allegation Beijing has firmly rejected.
The Allegations at the Centre of the Inquiry
The scrutiny follows a New York Times report published late last month stating that US intelligence officials had concluded that Alice Huang, a Chinese executive connected to a Singapore-based data centre company called Megaspeed, had been passing information to Beijing. The executive, who is also known as Huang Le and is unrelated to the 63-year-old Taiwan-born Nvidia chief, reportedly developed a close relationship with the company’s founder.
According to the Times, that relationship could have given her insight into the thinking of US President Donald Trump on artificial intelligence. The newspaper also reported that Megaspeed was under examination over the possible diversion of Nvidia AI chips to China, citing unnamed sources briefed on the matter.
CEO Acknowledges Affair and Apologises
In a message to employees released on Sunday, Jensen Huang acknowledged the affair and issued an apology to his family and colleagues. “I was unfaithful to my wife,” he said. “My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.”
The Nvidia chief is a towering figure in the artificial intelligence revolution and serves as a close informal adviser to President Trump, who has repeatedly argued against regulating the industry in ways that could allow China to gain the upper hand in the AI race.
Board Opens Independent Review
Nvidia said in a statement that it had opened an independent probe “in light of recent reporting that founder and CEO Jensen Huang has been the target of a foreign intelligence effort.” The company added that while the board has no reason to believe that either national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised, its inquiry will examine all available information.
Beijing Rejects Spying Claims
China has dismissed the espionage allegations. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular briefing on Monday that “the narrative of a so-called Chinese spy is entirely baseless vilification and smearing.”
Trump Weighs In
Asked on Sunday whether the Nvidia chief would join the president’s trip to Asia, which includes the Asia-Pacific summit in China’s Shenzhen, Trump told reporters: “I don’t know, but I’ll certainly take him.” The president described Huang as “a fine person, but you never know what’s going on. I’m sure—I hope everything’s fine. He’s done such an incredible job.”
The Times reported that Trump had been briefed roughly a year ago on the intelligence findings regarding Huang’s relationship with the businesswoman and chose not to act on the information. On Sunday, the president said he did not regret that decision. “No, I don’t think so. I think—you know, he’s an honourable guy. I think he probably has an excuse for it. You have to hear it,” he said.
The AI issue is expected to feature in Trump’s planned talks with President Xi Jinping later this month at a summit in China, as the two countries remain locked in a contest for technological dominance. Washington restricts the export to China of the most advanced silicon chips, while Nvidia—a global leader in producing chips used to train and run AI models—ranks among the world’s most valuable companies.
Analysts Warn of Fallout
Technology analyst Dan Ives of the investment bank Yorkville Ives described news of the probe as “a black eye moment” for Huang. He predicted it would at the very least trigger multiple congressional inquiries and “create an overhang on the stock for a myriad of reasons.”
In the near term, Ives said, Huang is expected to keep his job, though he risks being removed as chief executive depending on the outcome of the board’s investigation. “This will also increase major scrutiny regarding selling chips to China, which remains a key battleground issue in DC,” he said in a statement.
George Chen, a partner and chair of digital practice at The Asia Group, told AFP that “it would be premature to conclude that Jensen poses a threat to US national security before the facts are fully established.” He added: “Once you become famous, you will naturally become a target. The key questions are whether he was aware of any espionage activities and whether any confidential or strategically sensitive information was compromised.”
