Nvidia opens independent probe after CEO acknowledges affair linked to China espionage claims

Nvidia has begun an independent investigation into reports that chief executive Jensen Huang was targeted by a Chinese intelligence operation, while confirming that Huang will remain in charge during the review. The company said on Sunday that a committee of independent directors, assisted by outside counsel, would examine the available information. Nvidia’s board said it had “no reason to believe that either national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised”, but said the allegations warranted a formal inquiry.

The investigation follows reporting by The New York Times and the Financial Times that US intelligence agencies had shared information about Huang’s alleged relationship with a Chinese woman. The woman was identified in the reports as Alice Huang, an executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed, and is not related to the Nvidia chief. According to the reports cited by DW and Al Jazeera, US intelligence sources believe Alice Huang had been recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security.

The allegations have not been established publicly, and China’s embassy in Washington has denied spying claims in the case. Megaspeed is also under US scrutiny over suspicions that it helped Beijing evade export restrictions and acquire advanced artificial-intelligence chips. The New York Times, as cited by the publishers, reported that the company bought about $4.8bn worth of Nvidia equipment over two years; DW described its purchases more broadly as being worth billions of dollars.

Huang acknowledged the personal relationship in an email to Nvidia employees. “I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children.

There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry,” he wrote. He said he supported the investigation, would cooperate and was committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting US national security.

The allegations have prompted bipartisan interest in Congress. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said Huang and Nvidia’s board owed lawmakers answers about advanced AI chips reaching China. Republican representatives John Moolenaar, Brian Mast and Rick Crawford have asked Huang to appear before Congress on November 18 to discuss the reported relationship and the company’s security safeguards.

Nvidia’s chips are central to the AI industry and are used by companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta and Google, while Washington has imposed controls on exports of advanced semiconductors to China. The company has grown into one of the world’s most valuable businesses during the AI boom, with its value cited by Al Jazeera at about $4.5tn. The board said it continued to have confidence in Huang and his leadership team.

Huang, who was born in Taipei and co-founded Nvidia in 1993, has said his actions fell short of his responsibilities to the company’s employees, board and shareholders. The inquiry is expected to determine what information, if any, was sought or transferred, an issue that remains unclear in the reports.