Nvidia Board Orders Independent Inquiry Into China Spy Allegations Involving CEO

Nvidia has been a central focus of U.S. semiconductor policy since the chipmaker’s rise in artificial intelligence hardware. The company’s board of directors announced on Sunday that it is launching an independent investigation following reports that Chinese intelligence agencies targeted chief executive Jensen Huang.

The inquiry will be led by a committee of independent directors and supported by outside legal counsel. The board stated it has no reason to believe that national security or company secrets were compromised, though it will review all available information. Directors expressed continued confidence in Huang and his leadership team.

In a separate message to staff, Huang acknowledged that he had been unfaithful to his wife. He apologized to his family, employees, directors, partners, and shareholders. "I support the investigation and will cooperate fully," Huang wrote.

The scrutiny stems from a New York Times report published on October 29, which cited people briefed on U.S. intelligence. The report stated that officials concluded Alice Huang, an executive at Nvidia customer Megaspeed in Singapore, had passed information to Beijing. Alice Huang did not respond to requests for comment. A separate Times report noted that Jensen Huang told the board he had been intimate with the Megaspeed executive.

Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, described the October report as unsubstantiated during a briefing on October 30. President Donald Trump called Huang an honorable guy on Sunday and said he had not discussed the allegations with him, according to Reuters.

Three Republican House committee chairmen sent a letter on November 4 asking Huang to brief them behind closed doors on November 18. Representatives Brian Mast of Florida, John Moolenaar of Michigan, and Rick Crawford of Arkansas requested details on his interactions with Alice Huang and the company’s safeguards against foreign espionage. They asked Huang to confirm the date by November 11 or propose an alternative when Congress is in session. The chairmen wrote that it is vital for Congress to determine the extent to which U.S. national security has been placed at risk.

Huang attended the July 21 opening of a Wistron factory in Fort Worth, which manufactures Nvidia hardware for artificial intelligence systems. The Fort Worth City Council approved tax abatements for two Wistron facilities in June 2025.