Nvidia CEO admits affair as company investigates alleged Chinese espionage links

• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admitted being unfaithful to his wife and apologized to his family and colleagues.
• The company's board has launched an independent investigation into reports that he was targeted by a Chinese intelligence operation.
• Nvidia said it has no reason to believe that company secrets or US national security information were compromised.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has acknowledged having an extramarital affair and apologized to his wife, children and colleagues, as the technology giant launches an independent investigation into reports linking him to a Chinese businesswoman suspected of working for Beijing.

In a message to Nvidia employees, Huang admitted his actions had hurt his family and accepted responsibility for the affair.

"I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did," he wrote, adding that he was deeply sorry.

The company's board of directors announced an independent investigation into reports that Huang had been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation.

The investigation will be overseen by a committee of independent directors and supported by external legal counsel.

In a statement, the board said it had "no reason to believe" that Nvidia's confidential information or US national security interests had been compromised.

Huang has expressed support for the investigation and pledged to cooperate fully. The company also confirmed that he would remain its CEO during the inquiry.

The reports center on Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, a Chinese businesswoman who previously held senior positions in China's financial sector before becoming associated with Singapore-based cloud computing company Megaspeed International.

According to Reuters, Alice Huang became the company's controlling shareholder and held senior positions in its leadership.

The New York Times previously reported that US intelligence agencies believed she was gathering information for Beijing while developing a close relationship with Jensen Huang.

Megaspeed has also faced scrutiny over allegations that it helped Chinese customers obtain advanced Nvidia chips subject to US export restrictions.

Reuters said it could not independently verify the intelligence allegations. Alice Huang and Jensen Huang are not related.

China has rejected the allegations, describing claims of an intelligence operation targeting Nvidia's CEO as unsubstantiated.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the accusations amounted to an attempt to smear Beijing.

The allegations have drawn attention in Washington because Nvidia's advanced processors are central to the global artificial intelligence industry and are subject to US restrictions on exports to China.

The investigation is ongoing, and no public findings have established that Nvidia's trade secrets or US national security information were compromised.