Nvidia’s board of directors announced an independent investigation into co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang following reports that he was the target of a foreign intelligence effort involving an alleged Chinese spy (TechCrunch, CBS News, CNBC).
Nvidia’s board of directors opened an independent inquiry into Jensen Huang over his relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based cloud and data center company Megaspeed and a former television reporter in China, whom U.S. intelligence officials believe was recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security.
Jensen Huang admitted to being unfaithful to his wife and apologized for hurting his family in a message sent to employees (BBC, CBS News).
Our CEO Jensen Huang explains why AI can take on routine tasks, boost productivity, and help people focus on more meaningful work. pic.twitter.com/pthLBagfw0
I owe my family and all of you an apology,
Jensen Huang wrote in his message to staff. 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.
Huang added that he had fallen short of his responsibilities to colleagues, the board, partners, and shareholders around the world.
Nvidia’s board stated that a committee of independent directors, assisted by outside independent counsel, will oversee the probe (CBS News).
The board emphasized that it has no reason to believe
that company secrets or U.S. national security were compromised, noting that the board prioritizes U.S. national and economic security (BBC, CBS News).
According to Nvidia, the CEO fully supports the review and has committed to cooperating with it
.
Nvidia spokesperson John Rizzo told CBS News, We trust that if we were the target of a genuine threat, the U.S. government would have notified us
(CBS News).
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun dismissed the allegations, stating that the so-called Chinese spy narrative is entirely baseless and constitutes slander and smear
(CBS News).
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters he had not spoken to Jensen Huang about the investigation, describing him as an honorable person who has done an amazing job for the country.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to comment, calling the situation an internal corporate matter (CBS News).
Nvidia stock fell 5% on Monday following the announcement.
Market observers such as Dan Ives, senior managing director at Yorkville Ives & Co., noted that the situation does not alter Nvidia’s technological lead in artificial intelligence chips.
Supporters including Sequoia partner Shaun Maguire and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk defended Huang on social media, emphasizing his role in U.S. AI leadership.
Nvidia is scheduled to report its third-quarter earnings on November 17 and will host a major conference in Washington, D.C., at the end of the month.
Earlier coverage: Nvidia Launches Probe Into Jensen Huang's Ties to Alleged Chinese Spy
