‘I was unfaithful’: Nvidia chief Jensen Huang admits to affair with alleged Chinese spy after expose; probe on
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has apologised to his wife and children after admitting to an affair with Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang, who was allegedly suspected of working for Beijing as part of a foreign intelligence operation. The 63-year-old acknowledged that his actions were inexcusable as the AI chipmaker launched an independent investigation into the allegations.
“There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry,” Huang said in a message to employees, admitting that he had also failed in his responsibilities towards Nvidia’s employees, board and shareholders. He pledged to take full responsibility and work to regain their trust.
The company’s board has initiated an independent inquiry, overseen by a committee of independent directors and supported by external legal counsel. Huang has agreed to cooperate fully with the investigation.
“While the Board has no reason to believe that either national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised, the Board’s inquiry will examine all available information,” Nvidia said, emphasising that protecting US national and economic security remained a priority.
About the Chinese spy allegations
The controversy follows a report by The New York Times alleging that US intelligence officials suspected Alice Huang, who is not related to Jensen Huang, of working as an intelligence asset for Beijing.
Alice Huang was previously associated with Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed, which has faced scrutiny over suspicions that it helped China access advanced AI chips restricted under US export controls.
According to the report, US President Donald Trump was briefed last year on intelligence alleging that Alice Huang was spying for China.
The allegations have also prompted US lawmakers to seek answers from Nvidia’s chief. Senior Republican members of the House of Representatives have asked Huang to brief Congress this month, citing national security concerns.
In a November 4 letter, lawmakers said they wanted to determine whether US national security had been compromised and whether China had gained access to sensitive American technology or information.
Nvidia has maintained that its CEO interacts with thousands of customer executives annually and that its Asian cloud customers receive only routine business information, not sensitive trade secrets or national security-related material.
Nvidia launches probe
Nvidia has launched an investigation into reports that CEO Jensen Huang was the “target of a foreign intelligence effort”, the company’s board of directors said.
The board said it had “no reason to believe that either national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised”, but the inquiry would examine all available information. Huang “fully supports the review and has committed to cooperating with it”, the statement added.
The 63-year-old will continue serving as Nvidia CEO during the investigation.
Trump backs NVIDIA chief
Trump has expressed support for Huang despite the allegations, saying he had not spoken to the Nvidia chief since the investigation came to light.
“I just know he’s a fine person, but you never know what’s going on,” Trump told reporters, while praising Huang for having “done an amazing job for our country”.
Asked whether he regretted not acting on the intelligence when briefed last year, Trump said he believed Huang was “an honourable guy”.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to comment on Huang when questioned on Sunday evening.
China has previously rejected allegations of an espionage operation targeting the Nvidia chief, dismissing them as “groundless speculation”.
Also Read:
OpenAI takes on Nvidia with its first AI chip Jalapeo: Promises faster, more efficient AI
