Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admits to affair as board opens foreign intelligence probe

Jensen Huang, the founder and chief executive of Nvidia, has admitted to an extra-marital relationship with a businesswoman identified by US intelligence as a suspected Chinese spy, prompting the company's board of directors to launch an independent investigation.

In a message sent to Nvidia employees, Huang took full responsibility for being unfaithful to his wife and hurting his family, while offering his full cooperation with the board's inquiry. "There is no excuse for what I did," Huang wrote, adding that he remained committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting national security.

The investigation follows reports that US intelligence officials conducted surveillance on Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, an executive at Singapore-based data centre firm Megaspeed. US intelligence agencies concluded she was operating as an asset for China's Ministry of State Security, according to details first reported by The New York Times. Surveillance originally initiated over suspicions that she was smuggling advanced Nvidia chips to bypass export controls led to the unmasking of communications between her and the Nvidia chief executive.

Congressional scrutiny and national security concerns

US lawmakers have moved quickly to demand answers from the head of the world's leading artificial intelligence chipmaker. Leaders of three House Republican committees wrote to Huang requesting that he appear for a closed-door briefing later this month to detail Nvidia's security protocols against foreign adversary espionage. The lawmakers stated that Chinese access to sensitive American technology remains central to ongoing congressional investigations.

Nvidia's board of directors confirmed it had initiated an independent review following reports that its founder was the target of a foreign intelligence effort. The board noted that while it prioritises national and economic security, it has found no evidence to suggest that trade secrets or US national security were compromised. The directors reiterated their confidence in Huang's leadership team.

Concerns regarding the relationship had previously reached senior levels of the American government. An internal memo drafted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio circulated among top policymakers last spring, citing intelligence on Alice Huang's links to Beijing. Despite those warnings, Huang and his wife, Lori Huang, were invited to a White House state dinner in September for Chinese President Xi Jinping, where they were seated at the head table alongside Donald Trump and the Chinese leader.

Global stakes for the AI chipmaker

Nvidia occupies a central position in the global technology ecosystem, supplying the advanced graphics processors needed to build and train artificial intelligence models for tech majors including OpenAI and Meta. The semiconductor designer's market valuation has reached $4.5 trillion, placing it among the most valuable publicly traded companies in history.

Beijing has denied any involvement in an espionage operation targeting the Nvidia executive, dismissing the claims as groundless speculation. Megaspeed stated that its leadership takes the allegations seriously and has appointed external legal advisers to conduct an internal review.