Nvidia board investigates Jensen Huang's ties to alleged Chinese spy

Nvidia's board opened an independent investigation on Nov. 8 into CEO Jensen Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen and executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed whom U.S. intelligence reportedly identified as a Chinese intelligence asset. The company said Huang told the board he had an intimate relationship with Alice Huang and apologized to staff for being unfaithful to his wife.

"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," Huang wrote in a message to employees.

Nvidia said Huang's interactions with Alice Huang were ordinary customer contacts and that no sensitive trade secrets or national-security information were shared. The company said Huang will remain CEO during the investigation.

Three Republican House committee chairs asked Huang to appear for a joint closed-door briefing on Nov. 18, the day after Nvidia is scheduled to report its third-quarter earnings. Democratic lawmakers separately called for an investigation or testimony.

The case sits at the intersection of U.S. national security, AI chip export controls, and corporate governance at one of the world's most valuable companies. Lawmakers from both parties are pressing for answers about whether a foreign intelligence asset gained access to a CEO whose firm is central to the U.S.-China tech rivalry. Nvidia's board must weigh the CEO's personal conduct against his role leading the company.

Huang co-founded Nvidia and has led it as CEO.