Nvidia has opened an independent investigation into whether chief executive Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence effort, as China rejected allegations involving a Chinese business executive who appeared alongside him at industry and social events.
The company announced the inquiry on Sunday, according to CNN’s November 10 report. Nvidia said at that time it had no reason to believe state or corporate secrets had been compromised. The espionage allegations remain unproven.
What CNN reported about Alice Huang
CNN reported that US officials believe Alice Huang, also identified as Huang Le, was working for Chinese intelligence and seeking information about Nvidia. CNN identified her as a 43-year-old Chinese citizen using US travel records corresponding with her social media posts. She is not related to Jensen Huang.
Her reported career spans journalism, finance and technology. CNN said Chinese social media and career databases describe work for Chinese state television before a move into finance. The network cited a private-equity fund website listing experience at HSBC and Citic Securities, both of which it contacted for comment.
Corporate records reviewed by CNN showed she was a director of Singapore-based Megaspeed International from March to November 2023. The cloud-computing and data-center company subsequently became a major buyer of Nvidia chips, with purchases exceeding US$4 billion by some analysts’ estimates.
Company links do not establish wrongdoing
CNN reported that Megaspeed has been investigated over possible unauthorized access to US chips by Chinese companies. Megaspeed has denied wrongdoing and described itself as compliant and legal. Its business dealings and Alice Huang’s former directorship do not themselves establish espionage.
Alice Huang’s current whereabouts are unclear, CNN reported. The network said she had made no public statement or appearance since reports about suspicions surrounding her relationship with Jensen Huang emerged last year. It contacted Megaspeed, Singapore’s government and Singaporean police.
Jensen Huang’s admission and Nvidia’s response
Jensen Huang acknowledged an extramarital affair in a company-wide statement over the weekend but did not identify the other person. That admission is separate from the allegation that he was targeted by an intelligence operation.
Nvidia had previously said there was nothing unusual or unexpected about meetings with customer executives, noting that such meetings are part of a chief executive’s job. CNN reported photographs of Jensen Huang and Alice Huang together at events in California and Taiwan but said it remained unclear when and where they first met.
China denies the allegations
China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday rejected the claim that Alice Huang was a Chinese spy, calling it “groundless speculation and an attempt to smear and malign China,” CNN reported.
Two people familiar with the matter told CNN that the FBI first raised concerns with lawmakers nearly a year ago. The existence of those concerns does not establish that information was stolen. Nvidia’s independent inquiry has not announced findings, and its statement that it had no reason to believe secrets were compromised remains central to the company’s public response.
