Nvidia chief Jensen Huang faces inquiry over alleged links to suspected Chinese spy
Allegations have emerged that Jensen Huang, the chief executive of Nvidia and one of the most important figures in the artificial intelligence industry, had a relationship with a suspected Chinese spy. An investigation has begun.
A report in the New York Times said U.S. intelligence officials believed that Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang spied for Beijing. She had a close relationship with Jensen Huang, Nvidia's chief executive and co-founder.
On Sunday, Jensen Huang admitted that he had been "unfaithful" to his wife. He also apologised for causing pain to his wife and children.
Nvidia, one of the most valuable technology companies in the world, has started an independent investigation into the reports. The company said it does not believe U.S. national security has been compromised. It also said Jensen Huang remains committed to continuing to lead the company.
On Monday, President Donald Trump said the FBI is investigating the relationship. However, when contacted by the BBC, the FBI declined to comment further on the matter. Trump said he spoke to Huang on Monday after news emerged that the United States believes it has been a victim of Chinese espionage. President Trump told reporters, "I asked him the question, 'Did you have any idea that she was a spy?' He said, 'I had no idea that she was a spy,' and I believe him completely."
The New York Times report said U.S. officials believed China's top intelligence agency had recruited Alice Huang for espionage. There is no family relationship between Jensen Huang and Alice Huang. From March to November 2023, she was a senior official at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data centre company.
Suspicion arose against the company over allegations of helping to smuggle Nvidia chips into China. But Nvidia says an investigation found no truth in the allegation. The Singapore government is investigating Megaspeed over earlier allegations of evading U.S. export controls on Nvidia's high-powered chips. The company told the New York Times last month that Megaspeed's current leadership has taken the allegations seriously and has hired outside lawyers to conduct an internal investigation.
According to the information, surveillance revealed contact between Alice Huang and a U.S. citizen, who was later identified as Jensen Huang through a process known as "unmasking". It is still unclear exactly what kind of intelligence Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, collected and sent to Beijing. Alice Huang did not respond to the newspaper's request for comment. When the BBC asked Nvidia whether the company was aware of the intelligence concerns, the company said it was not aware. A Nvidia spokesperson told the BBC, "We believe that if we were the target of any real threat, the U.S. government would have informed us."
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters at a regular press conference on Monday: "We have responded. Allegations about Chinese spying are completely baseless, speculative and aimed at smearing China."
Late in October, the New York Times reported that Trump had been briefed last year about intelligence alleging that Alice Huang was spying for China. On Sunday, reporters asked whether he regretted not acting on that intelligence. Trump replied, "No, I don't think so. I think he's an honourable man." Meanwhile, when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked about Huang, he declined to comment. According to the New York Times report, last spring the secretary of state oversaw the drafting of a memorandum warning the Trump administration about Huang's relationship with the Chinese businesswoman.
Nvidia is at the centre of the artificial intelligence race between the United States and China. That is why news of the billionaire chief executive's extramarital affair has raised national security concerns among U.S. lawmakers. Trump has said, "Whoever wins in AI will win in the end." There is a fear that if China dominates AI, it will multiply the country's military and surveillance capabilities. U.S. technology companies such as Nvidia have played a major role in keeping the United States ahead in the AI race. These companies work with chip manufacturers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). TSMC produces more than 90 percent of the world's most advanced chips. Since 2022, the United States has used various export controls to prevent the best technology from reaching China. That has meant companies such as Nvidia have largely been shut out of the world's most profitable market, and Huang once said Nvidia's share of the Chinese market had fallen from about 95 percent to virtually zero.
In the hope of finding an approved path for the United States, and at the same time to influence U.S. policy on China, Huang has engaged in intermediary diplomacy between Washington and Beijing. Sunday's information may explain why Huang failed to win the biggest prize for Nvidia — approval from the Trump administration to sell all but its most advanced chips in China.
Born in Taiwan in 1963, Huang moved with his family to the west coast of the United States when he was nine. He graduated in electrical engineering from Oregon State University and later earned a master's degree in the same subject from Stanford University. Before co-founding Nvidia, Huang worked at the U.S. chipmaker AMD. Known in Taiwan as "Daddy Huang" and once praised as the "Taylor Swift of the tech world", he is known as a workaholic and a perfectionist. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, his estimated wealth is 155 billion dollars, or 115 billion pounds.
Stephen Witt, author of Huang's biography "The Thinking Machine", told the BBC, "Jensen Huang is a tech visionary like Steve Jobs." He added that Huang is behind the kind of AI hardware we see today. Huang is known to have a very close relationship with Trump. At a recent AI summit at the White House, attended by 42 technology executives, Elon Musk and Huang sat beside the President. Trump said he has not spoken to the Nvidia chief since news of the investigation became public. He said, "All I know is he's a good man, but you can't tell what's inside." He added, "He's done a fantastic job for our country."
In 1993, Huang co-founded Nvidia with fellow electrical engineers Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem. The company was originally known for making graphics processing chips, especially for computer games. At one point the company turned its attention to artificial intelligence, or AI, technology. It now dominates the sector. Jensen Huang has saved the company from bankruptcy several times.
Stephen Witt, author of the biography "Thinking Machine", told the BBC, "When we think of AI today we think of huge data centres. But back then none of that existed. There was no buyer for the technology he was building. In fact, his first customer was OpenAI. There were only 30 people there. He basically gave them the technology, donated it for free." Almost all the world's notable technology companies working on AI technology and infrastructure, such as Amazon, Meta, Google and Microsoft, now use Nvidia chips. Nvidia's market value is now 4.5 trillion dollars (3.4 trillion pounds). It is one of the most valuable companies in history. For now, the company's board does not seem very interested in removing Huang. In a statement on Sunday, they said they have confidence in "Jensen and the team he leads". Several sources told the BBC that he is unlikely to be removed, because huge sums of money are involved. There is no public plan for the succession of the 63-year-old Jensen Huang. He has often said he hopes to remain in the role for decades more. His children Spencer and Madison, and his son-in-law Niko Caprez, hold important positions at Nvidia.
