image source, Reuters
The American technology giant Nvidia opened an independent investigation following reports that its CEO, Jensen Huang, had a relationship with an alleged Chinese spy.
The chipmaking giant said its board had no reason to believe that company secrets or US national security had been compromised, adding that the CEO was committed to continuing to lead the company.
On the other hand, Jensen Huang admitted to having been "unfaithful" to his wife and apologized for having hurt her and their children.
According to a report in The New York Times, US intelligence services believed that Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang, who had a close relationship with Huang, was a spy for China's Ministry of State Security.
Jensen Huang said he would take "full responsibility" for his actions and acknowledged failing to live up to his obligations to the company's employees, board of directors and shareholders.
Nvidia is one of the largest companies in the world and is considered instrumental in manufacturing hardware for emerging artificial intelligence technologies.
"I support research"
"I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am very sorry," Jensen Huang said.
"Related to national security concerns raised in media reports, Nvidia's Board of Directors has launched an independent investigation," he continued.
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"I support the investigation and will cooperate fully."
"I love our country and our company. I am committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting America's national security. I am proud and grateful to be an American."
In a separate statement, Nvidia's board of directors announced it would launch an investigation "in light of recent reports that founder and CEO Jensen Huang has been the target of a foreign intelligence operation."
The statement continued: "The Board of Directors prioritizes the national and economic security of the United States, which is paramount to the interests of Nvidia and its shareholders."
"While the Board has no reason to believe that either Nvidia's national security or secrets were compromised, its investigation will examine all available information."
Alice Huang is linked to Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data center company.
The company told The New York Times last month that its current management team took the allegations seriously and had hired outside legal counsel to conduct an internal investigation.
Nvidia provides chips to leading AI model developers, including OpenAI and Meta.
In February, the semiconductor giant posted record annual revenue of $215.9 billion.
"Unfounded speculation"
China rejects allegations of a spy operation against Nvidia CEO, calling the claims "baseless speculation."
According to anonymous sources cited by The New York Times, US intelligence agencies had been monitoring Alice Huang and concluded that she was acting on behalf of the Chinese government.
Surveillance reportedly revealed communications between Alice Huang and a U.S. citizen, who was later identified as Jensen Huang through a process known as "unmasking."
It remains unclear what information Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, allegedly transmitted to Beijing, what value it had, or when she is believed to have begun collecting intelligence.
Alice Huang did not respond to the newspaper's request for comment.
Last week, members of Congress wrote to Jensen Huang asking him to appear before them.
Three Republican House committee leaders asked the CEO to appear later this month to discuss Nvidia's "security protocols against espionage by foreign adversaries," given his alleged relationship with Alice Huang.
"Recent reports raise significant national security concerns regarding the PRC's access to sensitive US technology and information."
"The issue of PRC infiltration and access to cutting-edge American technology is central to the investigative work of our three committees in this Congress," the letter said.
Nvidia's artificial intelligence chips have been a major focus of the rivalry between the United States and China. Washington imposed controls on where its advanced products can be sold.
The H200, Nvidia's second most advanced semiconductor, was restricted by Washington over concerns that it would give the Chinese technology industry an advantage over the American one.
In January, the Trump administration announced that it would allow the company to sell its H200 chips to Chinese customers under certain conditions.
This article was originally written in English and we used an artificial intelligence tool to translate it. A BBC journalist reviewed the text before publication. Learn more about how we use AI.
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