Nvidia’s board has opened an independent investigation into reports that CEO Jensen Huang was the target of a Chinese intelligence effort, as the Wall Street Journal reported.
The probe follows an October 29 New York Times report. It said US intelligence agencies had identified Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, as a Chinese intelligence asset who built a close relationship with the Nvidia chief.
Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen, was a senior executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data centre company. The US Commerce Department began investigating Megaspeed late in the Biden administration over concerns that it was helping China get around US export curbs on Nvidia’s advanced AI chips.
Nvidia has rejected the chip-diversion claims, saying they were “thoroughly investigated and debunked.” Huang described his dealings with her as “completely normal” and said the US government had never warned him about her.
A committee of independent directors, supported by outside counsel, will oversee the investigation. The board said it has no reason to believe that national security or company secrets were compromised, and it expressed confidence in Huang and his leadership team.
Pressure is also mounting in Washington. Republican chairs of three House committees have asked Huang for a closed-door briefing, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to comment, calling it an “internal corporate matter.”
For the world’s most valuable chipmaker, which sits at the centre of the US-China technology rivalry, the outcome of the probe could have far-reaching consequences for governance and investor confidence.
