Nvidia launches investigation into its CEO’s relationship with an alleged Chinese spy

The artificial intelligence semiconductor giant Nvidia has launched an independent investigation into its CEO, Jensen Huang, after he acknowledged a romantic relationship with businesswoman Alice Huang — also known as Huang Le — who is suspected of spying for the Chinese government. The tech mogul is not only one of the most powerful business leaders in the United States and the artificial intelligence sector; he also maintains a close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Sunday that Huang is an “honorable guy” and should remain in his position.The executive, who will continue to lead the company — at least for the time being — sent a message to the tech giant’s employees on Sunday after U.S. media outlets published new details about the romantic relationship. In it, he admitted to being unfaithful to his wife. “I owe my family and all of you an apology... There is no excuse for what I did,” he wrote. “To my wife and family: I love you. I know an apology cannot undo what I have done. I hope our family will heal and that, over time, I can earn back your trust.”The explosive situation began to come to light last month, when The New York Times broke the story about suspicions that Jensen Huang may have been the target of a Chinese espionage operation through his relationship with Huang Le.U.S. officials had concluded last year — as reported by the Times and later by other outlets — that Alice Huang, then a senior executive at Megaspeed International, had shared information with the Chinese government while collaborating with Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company, on the construction of data centers in Asia. U.S. investigators had launched their probe amid suspicions that Megaspeed helped Beijing gain access to advanced artificial intelligence semiconductors, the shipment of which to China is prohibited. The Singapore-based company had purchased enormous quantities of these chips from Nvidia: $4.8 billion worth over the past two years.Alice Huang was responsible for these purchasing operations at Megaspeed. Her biography indicates that she worked in China as a television journalist before becoming an executive at the Singapore-based company.According to the Times, last spring Secretary of State Marco Rubio oversaw the drafting of a classified memorandum detailing intelligence that showed Alice Huang had been recruited by the Chinese Ministry of State Security to lure Jensen Huang into a trap. That document circulated shortly before Trump’s visit to China in May.The tech company’s board of directors stated in a press release that it has no reason to believe that the company’s secrets or U.S. national security have been compromised. “Today’s news will not slow Nvidia,” said a spokesperson for the tech giant. “Jensen is committed to continuing to lead NVIDIA as CEO without interruption.”Investigation by an independent committeeIn its statement, the board of directors specifies that an independent committee, which will be supported by “outside independent counsel,” will conduct the investigation. The investigation, it adds, “will examine all available information.”After The New York Times broke the story in October about Huang’s extramarital affair, Nvidia initially denied the allegations, claiming that its CEO maintained social relationships with thousands of clients, but that this did not mean he would share confidential information with them.The Chinese government also described the reports published by the Times as “baseless” at the time. At the Foreign Ministry’s daily press conference in Beijing, ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun maintained that the report “lacks foundation,” was “pure slander,” and “an attempt to discredit China.”Huang, 63, married his wife Lori in 1985, whom he met while they were both studying at Oregon State University. The couple has two children in their thirties who work at the semiconductor giant. Huang’s case is extremely sensitive, but it is part of the new reality of Silicon Valley: its secrets are of interest to everyone, and it is only natural that international intelligence agencies might try to infiltrate its offices and personal circles.The businessman is one of the most powerful executives in the world. The tech giant manufactures some of the world’s most advanced semiconductors, which are essential for staying ahead in the race to dominate artificial intelligence. Huang has managed to develop a close relationship with Trump. He has traveled with the president aboard the presidential aircraft Air Force One and visits the White House relatively frequently. He was last seen there during the state dinner held in September for Chinese President Xi Jinping, to which most of the CEOs and leaders of major technology companies were also invited.Nvidia is one of the major players in the race for global AI dominance in the United States. With a market capitalization of $4.5 trillion, it sells advanced AI processors — known as graphics processing units (GPUs) — and other hardware components worth hundreds of billions of dollars.Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition