The United States President has disclosed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is probing an affair between Jensen Huang, the chief executive of Nvidia, and a woman allegedly linked to Chinese espionage. The alleged affair came to light following reports suggesting that US intelligence officials believe the woman was a Chinese spy. The alleged affair has raised concerns in Washington due to Nvidia's significant role in the artificial intelligence (AI) technology race between the United States and China, with exports to Beijing viewed as a matter of national security.
According to reports, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a memo to top US officials warning that the Nvidia boss was in a close relationship with a Chinese spy. The woman, named Alice Huang (also known as Huang Le), is reportedly connected to a Singaporean company, Megaspeed, which has had dealings with Nvidia. Jensen Huang admitted being unfaithful and apologized for the harm caused to his wife and children.
The FBI declined to comment on the matter when contacted by the BBC. Nvidia, co-founded by Jensen Huang, said it commissioned an independent investigation into the affair. The company stated that it has no reason to believe its secrets or national security were compromised. Megaspeed, however, did not respond to requests for comment from the BBC on the alleged Chinese spy connection.
The revelations led to a significant drop in Nvidia's stock value, with about $250 billion being wiped off its market capitalization on Monday as the company's share price fell by more than 4%. Jensen Huang was also sued in a proposed class action lawsuit in California that accuses him and Nvidia of defrauding shareholders by concealing his ties with the suspected Chinese spy. The lawsuit alleges that the company lied to the media about Jensen Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, who is suspected of seeking to help smuggle Nvidia products to China.
President Trump stated that he was informed "over a period of time" about the relationship but did not disclose when he was made aware. He expressed hope that there would be no problem and expressed confidence in Jensen Huang's integrity. The president added that he was sure Chinese leader Xi Jinping would ask him about it when they next meet. It remains unclear whether Jensen Huang will appear for a joint closed-door briefing with several Congressional committees next week, as requested.