Nvidia Board Launches Review of Huang

The board of directors at Nvidia announced on Sunday that it is opening an investigation into reports that CEO Jensen Huang was a target of foreign intelligence efforts. The review will examine all available information regarding the relationship between Huang and a Chinese business executive. The board stated it has no reason to believe that national security or company secrets were compromised during the period in question.

The announcement followed Huang’s acknowledgment to the board that he had been intimate with a business executive. U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly determined that this executive, identified as Alice Huang, was gathering information for Beijing. The two individuals are not related. The company’s board said Jensen Huang fully supports the review and has committed to cooperating with the inquiry.

In a letter to employees obtained by The Associated Press, Jensen Huang apologized to his family and colleagues for being unfaithful to his wife. He stated that he took full responsibility for his actions. “Leading Nvidia is the privilege of my life,” he wrote. “My responsibility is to serve you and be worthy of your trust. I have fallen short of that responsibility.” He did not name Alice Huang in the letter but addressed the national security concerns raised in news reports.

The situation traces back to last month when The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence agencies had discovered the close relationship. The agency determined that Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen and chip buyer, was feeding information directly to Beijing. Alice Huang previously worked as a television reporter in China. She later became a top executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data center company. Megaspeed purchased more than $4.8 billion worth of Nvidia chips over the past two years, according to the Times.

Jensen Huang, who is 63, will remain CEO of the company during the investigation. Company spokesperson John Rizzo said in a statement that the news would not slow Nvidia down. “Jensen is committed to continuing to lead Nvidia as CEO without interruption,” Rizzo said. The board’s inquiry aims to clarify whether the personal relationship affected the company’s operations or security posture.

President Donald Trump commented on the development on Sunday. He said he had not yet spoken to Huang about the news but praised the CEO’s work. “I hope everything’s fine then. He’s done such an incredible job,” Trump said. When asked if he wished he had acted on the intelligence earlier, Trump called Huang an honorable guy and said he probably has an excuse for the situation. Trump also suggested he might take Huang on his upcoming trip to Asia next week. Huang serves on the president’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that he could not comment on the specific details of the situation. He noted that he was departing the U.S. for a G7 meeting in Paris. “I just can’t comment because of the nature of it,” Rubio told reporters. He added that he also could not comment on an internal corporate matter occurring at Nvidia.

Nvidia operates as the world’s most valuable company. The Santa Clara, California, firm has regularly surpassed Wall Street earnings expectations over the past three years. Its advanced processors power many data centers used to train and run artificial intelligence models. The company reported quarterly profits of $59.69 billion in August. Its chips have also been a focus of U.S. export restrictions aimed at limiting China’s access to cutting-edge semiconductor technology.