Nvidia board investigates Jensen Huang affair with alleged Chinese spy

The allegations stem from reporting by The New York Times and the Financial Times, which said US intelligence agencies had determined that Alice Huang (no relation to Jensen) was recruited by China's Ministry of State Security to gather information on the CEO, and that US officials believe the two were romantically involved. The Chinese government has dismissed the espionage claims as unfounded, and the suspected operation has not been independently confirmed. Nvidia had previously described the pair's interactions as strictly professional and "not unusual".

A committee of independent directors, assisted by outside counsel, will oversee the inquiry. The board said it "has no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised" but will examine all available information, and that it has confidence in Huang, who is cooperating and will not step down. The stakes are high because Megaspeed, a major Nvidia customer, is reportedly under US Commerce Department investigation over whether it smuggled AI chips to China, and because Huang's closeness to President Trump raises questions about what insights into the administration's AI deliberations he may have held.

There is a recent precedent for this kind of board action: in June 2018, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich resigned after an internal investigation, assisted by external counsel, confirmed a consensual relationship with an employee that broke the company's non-fraternisation policy. Nvidia's board, by contrast, is not seeking Huang's removal.