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Nathan Williams reporter, Zoe Kleinman technology reporter
On the 8th, US semiconductor giant Nvidia launched an independent investigation after reports that its CEO Jensen Huang had an affair with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy. NVIDIA is one of the companies with the highest market capitalization in the world.
Nvidia's board of directors has no reason to believe that confidential company information or national security has been compromised. Mr. Jensen Huang will continue to lead the company.
Separately, CEO Huang admitted to being "unfaithful" to his wife and apologized for hurting her and their children.
According to a report in the New York Times, US intelligence officials considered Alice Huang, a Chinese businessman who had a close relationship with Jensen Huang, to be a spy for the Chinese government. Although the two have the same last name, they are not related by blood.
Jensen Huang said he "takes full responsibility" for his actions and acknowledged that he failed in his responsibilities to Nvidia's employees, board of directors and shareholders.
"I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and my children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am truly sorry," he said in a statement.
"Nvidia's board of directors has launched an independent investigation into the national security concerns raised in the report. I support this investigation and will fully cooperate with it."
"I love this country and this company. I am committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting America's national security. I am proud and grateful to be an American."
Meanwhile, Nvidia's board of directors said in a statement that it is launching an investigation "in response to recent reports that founder and CEO Jensen Huang is the target of an operation by foreign intelligence agencies."
"The Board's top priorities are the national security and economic security of the United States, which is of paramount importance to the interests of Nvidia and its shareholders."
"At this time, the board has no reason to believe that national security or sensitive NVIDIA information has been compromised; however, the board's investigation will review all available information."
NVIDIA is one of the world's largest companies and is said to play a central role in manufacturing hardware for emerging AI technologies. Jensen Huang has led the company for over 30 years.
He has saved Nvidia from bankruptcy multiple times and was focused on AI long before many people around the world were investing in it.
His decision to take NVIDIA's semiconductor chips, originally designed for gaming, and make them the best in the industry for AI development is now a huge success. NVIDIA currently plays a central role in AI infrastructure, providing chips to major AI development companies such as Open AI and Meta.
Nvidia's market capitalization reached approximately $4.5 trillion (approximately 712.54 trillion yen) in October last year.
The latest incident is a major blow to Jensen Huang, a workaholic and perfectionist known for demanding extremely high standards from his subordinates.
Who is Alice Huang?
Anonymous sources cited by the New York Times said U.S. intelligence agencies had been monitoring Alice Huang and had concluded that she was acting on behalf of the Chinese government.
During this surveillance, communications between Alice Huang and the American man were revealed. The man was reportedly later identified as Jensen Huang through a process known as "unmasking."
It remains unclear what information Alice Huang (also known as Huang Le) passed on to the Chinese government, how valuable it was, and when she is believed to have started collecting it.
Alice Huang is associated with Singapore-based data center company Megaspeed. Megaspeed told the New York Times last month that current management takes these allegations seriously and has appointed outside legal counsel to conduct an internal investigation.
Alice Huang did not respond to The New York Times' request for comment.
US Congress pays attention, Trump defends CEO Huang
US President Donald Trump said on the 8th that he has not spoken to Jensen Huang since the report came out.
"I know he's a great guy, but you never know what's going on," Trump told reporters, adding, "He's done a great job for this country."
The New York Times reported in late October that President Trump had been briefed last year on information alleging that Alice Huang was spying for China.
Asked by reporters on the 8th whether he wished he had acted on the information at the time, Trump replied: "No, I don't think so. I think he (Jensen Huang) is a fine man."
Members of Congress last week sent a letter to Jensen Huang asking him to explain the reported relationship to Congress.
The Republican chairmen of three House committees asked him to appear before their committees later this month to discuss Nvidia's "security measures against espionage by foreign adversaries" in light of his reported relationship with Alice Huang.
"Recent reports raise serious national security concerns regarding China's access to sensitive U.S. technology and information," the chairs of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the China Select Committee, and the House Select Committee on Intelligence wrote in a letter. "China's infiltration and access to cutting-edge American technology are central to the investigative work of our three committees this Congress."
Nvidia's AI chips have become a major focus of competition between the U.S. and China, and the U.S. government has previously restricted where Nvidia's advanced products can be sold.
Nvidia's second most advanced semiconductor, the H200, was previously regulated by the U.S. government over concerns it could give China's technology industry an advantage over the United States.
The Trump administration announced in January that it would allow the company to sell its H200 chips to Chinese customers under certain conditions.
China has previously denied allegations of espionage targeting Jensen Huang, calling the claims "baseless speculation".
(English article: Nvidia launches investigation into CEO's affair with suspected Chinese spy)
