Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang has acknowledged an extramarital relationship with a Chinese businesswoman whom U.S. officials suspect of being an agent of China’s Ministry of State Security, a disclosure that has put American intelligence agencies on alert because of its national security implications.
Huang confirmed the relationship with Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, an executive at Singapore-based data-center operator MegaSpeed. The company is one of Nvidia’s biggest customers, having purchased AI chips worth billions of dollars.
U.S. intelligence sources suspect that Alice Huang cultivated a close relationship with the Nvidia chief to gather information about the company’s most advanced chips. The New York Times reported that she may also have lobbied to weaken U.S. export controls on China. Photographs of the two at events in Taipei in 2024 have also emerged. They share a surname but are not related.
In an email to employees, reported by Axios, Huang wrote that he had been unfaithful to his wife. “My actions hurt her and our children deeply,” he said, adding that there was no excuse for his conduct and that he deeply regretted it. He apologized to his family and colleagues, accepted full responsibility, and pledged his commitment to the company and U.S. national security. He said he would cooperate fully with an independent investigation overseen by the board.
Nvidia’s board said the inquiry into the national security concerns is being supervised by independent directors and outside legal counsel. It said there is no evidence to date that company secrets or U.S. national security have been compromised, expressed full confidence in Huang’s leadership, and confirmed he will remain CEO.
Huang previously characterized Nvidia’s dealings with MegaSpeed as ordinary customer transactions. A classified memo on the matter has reportedly been prepared under the oversight of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and some lawmakers have requested a briefing. MegaSpeed has denied the allegations. The claims against Alice Huang are based on intelligence assessments and have not been established in court.