Nvidia board opens probe into Jensen Huang's relationship with alleged Chinese spy

Nvidia's board announced Sunday that independent directors will investigate reports that CEO Jensen Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort, after Huang told employees he had an affair with a former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed.

In an email to staff that Nvidia published, Huang wrote that he was "unfaithful to my wife" and that his actions hurt her and their children. He did not name the woman in the message. CNBC and Fox Business identified her as Alice Huang, and The New York Times and Financial Times reported that U.S. intelligence agencies believe she is a Chinese spy. A memo that circulated among U.S. policymakers earlier this year claimed China's Ministry of State Security had recruited her to spy on him, TechCrunch reported. TechCrunch said it could not tell who wrote the memo or whether its claims are verified, and the coverage cites no public finding of wrongdoing by Huang or Nvidia.

The board said it has "no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised," and that its inquiry will examine all available information. A spokesperson said Huang remains CEO and is committed to continuing without interruption. The Times reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Trump administration officials about Huang's ties to the woman, and that officials initially did not believe Huang knew of any intelligence activity.

Megaspeed is an Nvidia customer that has been accused of helping restricted Chinese companies get Nvidia AI chips. Nvidia has said Megaspeed was already investigated for evading export controls, and that its earlier view of the pair's interactions was that they were "not unusual."

Congress is already involved. Reps. Brian Mast, John Moolenaar and Rick Crawford, all Republicans, invited Huang to an in-person joint briefing on Nov. 18, according to Fox Business. CNBC reported that the letter went out Wednesday and that the date falls the day after Nvidia reports third-quarter earnings on Nov. 17. Neither outlet said whether Huang will attend.

Huang has lobbied the administration to ease limits on chip sales to China and joined President Donald Trump's business delegation to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this year, Fox Business reported. Nvidia holds a major conference in Washington at the end of the month.