NVIDIA Is Investigating Reports That CEO Jensen Huang Was The Target Of Chinese Spy Efforts

Following a string of reports from The New York Times and Financial Times linking NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang with a woman suspected to be a Chinese spy, the company says it’s launching an independent investigation into the claims that he “has been the target of a foreign intelligence effort.”

In the statement released on Sunday, NVIDIA said, “A committee of independent directors, assisted by outside independent counsel, will oversee the investigation. The Board prioritizes US national and economic security, which is paramount to the interests of NVIDIA and its shareholders. 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.”

The New York Times reported at the end of October that Huang had “developed a close relationship” with a woman named Alice Huang (no relation to Jensen), who US intelligence agencies had determined to be a Chinese intelligence asset. In a followup, The New York Times reported that Alice Huang, an executive at Singapore-based company Megaspeed — a major buyer of NVIDIA chips — was recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security to gather intelligence on the CEO. The Financial Times later reported that US officials believe Jensen Huang was romantically involved with the alleged spy.

Jensen Huang reportedly admitted to an affair in a memo sent to staff on Sunday, per Bloomberg, as NVIDIA publicly confirmed its own investigation into the claims. “Jensen fully supports the review and has committed to cooperating with it,” NVIDIA said. “The Board has confidence in Jensen and his leadership team and will provide further updates as appropriate.”