Nvidia CEO admits affair as company probes espionage claims

• US officials flagged the relationship over concerns her company, Megaspeed, served as a conduit to divert restricted AI chips to Beijing
• Nvidia confirmed Huang remains CEO, stating it found no evidence company secrets or national security were breached
• House Republican leaders called on Huang to testify on security protocols, while Donald Trump publicly defended him

Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang has admitted to an extramarital affair as the company launched an internal investigation into concerns that he was the target of a foreign intelligence operation by China.

The disclosures follow concerns raised by US officials regarding Huang’s close relationship with Alice Huang, an executive at Singapore-based tech firm Megaspeed. The two executives are not related.

The controversy threatens to impact confidence in the world’s second-largest company and the central figure of the artificial intelligence boom, unfolding against the backdrop of heightened US-China competition for technological leadership.

In a memo addressed to staff, Huang stated that he was "unfaithful" and had caused hurt to his wife and children. He did not disclose the identity of the person involved in the relationship.

“I take full responsibility for what I did and the hurt I caused, and I accept the criticism that comes with it,” the 63-year-old CEO said. He expressed support for Nvidia’s inquiry, adding: “I am committed to protecting NVIDIA and supporting America’s national security.”

Independent review

In a press release issued Sunday, Nvidia stated that an independent committee of directors alongside outside legal counsel will oversee the investigation.

“The Board prioritizes US national and economic security, which is paramount to the interests of NVIDIA and its shareholders,” the board said, noting that it “has no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised.”

Dan Ives, partner and senior managing director at Yorkville & Ives Co., described the development in an analyst note as “a black eye moment for Jensen” that will intensify scrutiny over chip sales to China, an issue Huang has previously lobbied for. Ives added that the inquiry would pressure Nvidia’s stock price as investors evaluate Huang’s future leadership.

An Nvidia spokesperson rejected suggestions of leadership turbulence, telling CNN: “Today’s news will not slow NVIDIA. Jensen is committed to continuing to lead NVIDIA as CEO without interruption.”

China link 

Huang’s ties to Alice Huang and Megaspeed -a customer purchasing Nvidia semiconductors- have drawn federal scrutiny over whether the firm served as an illicit pipeline for advanced chips into China in violation of export restrictions.

The Financial Times previously reported that US intelligence agencies assessed the pair were involved in a romantic relationship.

Nvidia had previously pushed back on scrutiny over the meetings, stating they were “not unusual or unexpected. Meetings with customers are part of a CEO’s job; Jensen talks with thousands of customer executives every year.”

The company asserted that allegations of illegal chip diversion were “debunked last year.”

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993, steering its market capitalization past $4 trillion driven by surging global demand for AI processors.

Earlier this year, Huang joined President Donald Trump and an executive delegation in Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

While the US government approved licenses for 10 Chinese companies to acquire Nvidia’s second-tier AI chips, according to a Reuters report earlier this year, the total volume shipped under those clearances remains unclear.

Congressional demands 

Speaking on Sunday, Trump said he had not spoken with Huang following the announcement, calling him a “fine person” who “probably has an excuse for it.”

On Capitol Hill, Republican chairs of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and the House Intelligence Committee sent a formal letter demanding Huang appear before their panels to testify regarding Megaspeed and corporate anti-espionage protocols.

“Recent reports raise significant national security concerns regarding the PRC’s access to sensitive US technology and information,” the committee chairs stated. “The issue of PRC infiltration and access to cutting-edge US technology is core to the investigative work of our three committees this Congress.”