Credit, Reuters
American multinational technology company Nvidia said this Sunday (8/11) that it had opened an independent investigation following reports that its CEO, Jensen Huang, had a relationship with an alleged Chinese spy.
The company is today the leading developer of chips for artificial intelligence, supplying the graphics processors that have become the basis of the data centers that train and operate large AI models.
The company said its board of directors sees no reason to believe that confidential company information or data related to US national security has been compromised, adding that the CEO remains committed to continuing to lead the company.
In a separate statement, Jensen Huang admitted to having been "unfaithful" to his wife and apologized for having hurt her and their children.
According to a New York Times report, US intelligence officials believe that Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang, who had a close relationship with Jensen Huang, was acting as a spy for China's Ministry of State Security.
Huang said he takes "full responsibility" for what he did, acknowledging that he failed in his obligations to Nvidia's employees, board of directors and shareholders.
"I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply, deeply sorry," he said in a statement.
"Regarding national security concerns mentioned in reports, Nvidia's board of directors has initiated an independent investigation. I support the investigation and will fully cooperate," the text continued.
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"I love our country and our company. I am committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting U.S. national security. I am proud and grateful to be an American."
In a separate statement, the company's board of directors said it will launch an investigation "in light of recent reports indicating that founder and CEO Jensen Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence operation."
It adds: "The Board prioritizes U.S. national and economic security, which is critical to the interests of Nvidia and its shareholders. While the Board has no reason to believe that Nvidia's national security or confidential data has been compromised, the investigation will review all available information."
Alice Huang has ties to Megaspeed, a data center company based in Singapore.
The company told the New York Times last month that its leaders took the spying allegations seriously and appointed outside legal counsel to conduct an internal investigation.
China had previously rejected allegations that it had conducted a spying operation targeting the head of Nvidia and called the accusations "baseless speculation."
US intelligence agencies were monitoring Alice Huang and concluded that she was acting on behalf of the Chinese government, according to unidentified sources cited by The New York Times.
The monitoring reportedly revealed communications between Alice Huang and an American citizen, who was later identified as Jensen Huang through a process known as "unmasking."
It is unclear what information Alice Huang — also known as Huang Le — would have passed on to Beijing, how important that information was, or when she would have started collecting intelligence.
Alice Huang did not respond to the newspaper's request for comment.
Last week, after the relationship was reported, members of the US Congress wrote to Jensen Huang asking him to provide clarification on the matter.
Three Republican committee leaders in the House of Representatives asked the CEO to appear later this month to discuss "Nvidia's security protocols against espionage by foreign adversaries", considering his alleged relationship with Alice Huang.
"Recent reports raise significant national security concerns regarding PRC [People's Republic of China] access to sensitive U.S. technology and information.
"The issue of PRC infiltration and access to cutting-edge US technologies is central to the investigative work of our three committees in this Congress," the letter says.
Valued at around $4.5 trillion, Nvidia is one of the most valuable companies of all time and plays a central role in AI infrastructure, supplying chips to leading AI model developers including OpenAI and Meta.
Its AI chips have been a central point in the rivalry between the US and China, and the US government has already restricted the sale of some product categories to the Chinese market.
One of them was the H200, Nvidia's second most advanced semiconductor, which was restricted from sale until January due to concerns that it could give China's technology industry an advantage over the US. Depois desse período, o fornecimento a clientes chineses foi permitido sob determinadas condições.
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