Nvidia investigates Jensen Huang's relationship with alleged spy
Jensen Huang has admitted to an affair with a businesswoman who, according to US intelligence agencies, is spying for China. The Trump administration apparently knew about it for months.
Nvidia has announced an investigation into Jensen Huang. The co-founder and CEO had confessed to the board of directors that he had an intimate relationship with a businesswoman. US intelligence agencies classify the woman as a Chinese agent. In a message to the staff, Huang apologized:
I have been unfaithful to my wife. My actions have hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I have done.
A committee of independent board members is conducting the investigation, supported by external lawyers. According to Nvidia spokesperson John Rizzo, Huang is not involved in their selection. The CEO stated that he intends to cooperate fully. He will retain his position during the investigation. The board of directors says it has «no reason to believe» that US national security or trade secrets have been compromised. However, they will examine all available information.
Major client with ties to Beijing
Jensen Huang's affair goes by the name Alice Huang or Huang Le. She and the Nvidia boss are not related. According to her biography, Alice Huang worked in China as a TV reporter and for several major banks. Later, she became the head of Megaspeed, a data center operator based in Singapore. Megaspeed is one of Nvidia's largest customers in Southeast Asia. According to the «New York Times», the company has purchased more than $4.8 billion worth of chips since June 2024. The US Department of Commerce investigated whether Megaspeed helped smuggle export-restricted AI chips into China. Nvidia continued business regardless.
In the course of these investigations, US authorities had been monitoring Alice Huang for more than a year. During this time, they discovered her communication with Jensen Huang. According to intelligence information, the Chinese Ministry of State Security had specifically targeted her at the Nvidia boss. Alice Huang did not respond to media inquiries.
Nvidia had initially portrayed the relationship as unproblematic. In October, Jensen Huang told «Bloomberg» that the contacts concerned Megaspeed and were «completely normal». He and Alice Huang were spotted together in a bar in Taipei, among other places.
Astonishing passivity of the US government
According to the «New York Times», President Donald Trump was informed about the surveillance about a year ago. He decided at the time not to take any action. In the spring, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a top-secret memo created. It warned high-ranking government members about Huang's relationship with the suspected agent.
The memo circulated before Trump's trip to China in May. Huang was initially not on the list of business representatives for the trip. Whether this was related to the memo is unclear. After media reports about his absence, Trump invited him after all. Huang boarded Air Force One during a stopover in Alaska. On Sunday evening, Trump defended the Nvidia boss:
I haven't heard that he did anything wrong. I just know he is a good person.
Trump is open to taking Jensen Huang on his next trip to China. The CEO is considered an influential ally of the President. He opposes stricter export rules for AI chips. Now he will likely have to appear for questioning under oath before Congress. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren declared that Huang and the board of directors owe answers. Criticism is also growing from the Republican side: Michael McCaul demanded that shipments of advanced AI chips to China be suspended immediately.
Family also works in the corporation
The Nvidia CEO has been married to Lori Huang since 1985. The two met at Oregon State University. He was a teenager at the time, and she was one of three women in an engineering lab of 250 people. By his own account, he promised her he would be the head of a company by the age of 30. Shortly after his 30th birthday in 1993, he founded Nvidia. In a podcast, he credits his wife with a large share of his ability to do so.
Their two children also work at Nvidia. Son Spencer is Director of Product Management and plays a leading role in the robotics division. Daughter Madison is Senior Director of Product Marketing. She also works in the field of robotics as well as in communications and marketing. Son-in-law Nico Caprez is part of the business development team. Huang himself was born in Taiwan in 1963. When he was nine, his parents sent him and his brother to the USA. He initially lived with an uncle and went to school in Kentucky. Later, his parents followed, and the family settled in Oregon.
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