Jensen Huang admits affair as Nvidia board opens independent probe

SANTA CLARA, California – Nvidia founder and chief executive Jensen Huang has told employees he was unfaithful to his wife, as the company’s board opened an independent investigation following reports that he was the target of a Chinese intelligence effort.

In an email to staff on Sunday, 8 November, which Nvidia published on its official newsroom, Huang wrote: “I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.”

He said he had “fallen short” of his responsibility to colleagues, the board, partners and shareholders, and asked that his family be given privacy. The email did not name any other person.

Board orders independent inquiry

In a separate statement issued the same day, Nvidia’s Board of Directors said it was starting an independent investigation after recent reporting that Huang had been the target of a foreign intelligence effort.

The board said a committee of independent directors, assisted by outside counsel, would oversee the review. It said it had no reason to believe that national security or Nvidia’s secrets had been compromised, but that the inquiry would examine all available information. The board added that it had confidence in Huang and his leadership team, and that Huang had agreed to cooperate.

In his email, Huang wrote that he supported the investigation and would “cooperate fully”, adding that he was “committed to protecting NVIDIA and supporting America’s national security.” Nvidia spokesperson John Rizzo told the San Francisco Standard that “today’s news will not slow Nvidia.” Huang, 63, remains chief executive.

What the reports allege

The “national security concerns” Huang referred to stem from reports by US media over the past two weeks. On 29 October, The New York Times reported that US intelligence officials had concluded that Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, an executive at Singapore-based Nvidia customer Megaspeed, was working for China’s Ministry of State Security and had grown close to the Nvidia chief, according to CBS News and the San Francisco Standard. The two are not related.

On 6 November, the Financial Times reported that a US government memo described a romantic relationship between the two, the Standard said. According to the Times, as cited by the Standard, Huang told Nvidia’s board that the relationship was with Alice Huang.

CBS News, citing the Times, reported that Megaspeed had bought more than $4.8 billion in Nvidia chips over the past two years. Tom’s Hardware noted that the company has faced US scrutiny over allegations that chips were diverted to China in breach of export controls, and that the suspected intelligence operation has not been independently confirmed.

China has rejected the espionage allegations as “groundless speculation”. When the first report emerged, Huang told Bloomberg that his interactions with Alice Huang were “related to Megaspeed, and it was all completely normal and not unusual.” Nvidia has said there is no evidence its products are smuggled into China. The outlets cited did not report any public response from Alice Huang or Megaspeed.

Market and political reaction

Nvidia shares fell about 5.75 per cent in indicative out-of-hours trading on Monday, according to an ANI report carried by The Tribune, citing Reuters. Regular Nasdaq trading had not yet opened on the news.

Reuters reported from Seoul that Madison Huang, an Nvidia senior director, cancelled a planned visit to South Korea, while the country’s vice science minister said contracted deliveries of Nvidia graphics processors were expected to proceed without disruption.

In Washington, the Republican chairs of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and China select committees have asked Huang to attend a private briefing on 18 November about his ties to Alice Huang and Nvidia’s safeguards against espionage, the Standard reported. Nvidia is due to report third-quarter earnings on 17 November.

Why it matters

Nvidia is the world’s leading maker of the chips used to train and run artificial intelligence systems, and access to its most advanced processors sits at the centre of US–China technology tensions. Washington has restricted sales of high-end AI chips to China, while Huang has repeatedly urged the US government to ease those curbs, The Week noted.

The board has not said how long its investigation will take. It said it would provide updates as appropriate.

With inputs from the NVIDIA Newsroom, CBS News, San Francisco Standard, Reuters, ANI/The Tribune, Tom’s Hardware and The Week.