Nvidia's board has opened an independent investigation into CEO Jensen Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, a Megaspeed executive who was reportedly recruited by Chinese intelligence to gather information about him. Jensen Huang has acknowledged an affair and apologized to his family and colleagues, while the board says it has no reason to believe national security or company secrets were compromised.
An independent inquiry
A committee of independent Nvidia directors will oversee the investigation with help from outside independent counsel. The board said it would examine all available information and provide further updates when appropriate.
Jensen Huang supports the review and has committed to cooperating, the board said. It also expressed confidence in him and his leadership team.
The investigation follows reports that Alice Huang was recruited by China's Ministry of State Security. A memo circulating among US policymakers earlier this year made that allegation, and US officials believe she was passing information directly to Beijing. Those claims have not been established by Nvidia's inquiry, which is now getting under way.
The reports differ on Alice Huang's position at Megaspeed. One describes her as an executive at the company, while the other calls her a former executive, leaving her current role unclear.
Huang acknowledges the affair
In a message published by Nvidia, Jensen Huang said he had been unfaithful to his wife and apologized for the hurt caused to her and their children. He also told colleagues, the board, partners and shareholders that they deserved better from him.
Earlier, Nvidia had said the pair's interactions were not unusual and that it does not share classified information with customers. The board's investigation will now examine the available information surrounding the relationship and the reported intelligence effort.
Why the relationship drew scrutiny
Megaspeed, a Singapore-based chip company, is an Nvidia customer. It is also the subject of a US Commerce Department investigation into whether it smuggled AI chips to China.
Nvidia's chips sit at the center of US efforts to maintain an advantage in AI technology. Both the Biden and Trump administrations restricted sales to China. President Donald Trump has loosened some restrictions, but sales of Nvidia's most powerful chips to Chinese firms remain barred, and the Commerce Department must approve individual firms to handle the chips.
Jensen Huang's relationship with Trump has added another question to the inquiry. There is concern about whether he had access to information about the administration's AI deliberations, and whether any such information could have reached Alice Huang and then Beijing. The reports do not establish that this happened.
For now, the board's position has two parts: it sees no reason to believe secrets were compromised, and it wants an independent investigation to examine what happened. The review has work to do before those concerns can be resolved.