Nvidia probes CEO over alleged affair with suspected Chinese spy

US tech giant Nvidia has opened an independent investigation following reports its CEO Jensen Huang had a relationship with a suspected Chinese spy.

The company, one of the most valuable in the world, said its board had no reason to believe the company's secrets or national security were compromised, adding that the CEO was committed to continuing to lead the company.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has admitted to having an affair with a woman whom US intelligence reportedly suspects is a Chinese spy.

Huang, who heads a leading AI chipmaker and is an ally of President Donald Trump, apologized in a message to the company, saying, "I was unfaithful to my wife," according to The New York Times.

"My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry."

Nvidia announced in a press release Sunday that its board was opening an independent investigation "in light of recent reporting that founder and CEO Jensen Huang has been the target of a foreign intelligence effort."

Late last month, the Times reported that Huang had formed a close relationship with Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, a Chinese executive at a Singapore-based data center.

Alice Huang is considered by US officials to be a Chinese spy, feeding information to Beijing, according to the report, which cited sources briefed on the surveillance of Alice Huang and other officials and industry experts.

When asked about Alice Huang being suspected of spying for China, Liu Chang, the spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, told the Times the US was pursuing a campaign of "groundless smears and slanders" against the Asian country.

Nvidia's board "prioritizes US national and economic security, which is paramount to the interests of NVIDIA and its shareholders," Sunday's company press release read.

"While the Board has no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised, the Board's inquiry will examine all available information."

CEO Huang supports the investigation and has agreed to cooperate, the board said. There was no word of Huang's position being in jeopardy, with the board saying it "has confidence in Jensen and his leadership team."

Nvidia is one of the hottest companies in the stock market right now, given the popularity of its chips. It has a market capitalization of roughly 4.5 trillion and was trading at nearly $240 per share early last month.

"Today's news will not slow Nvidia," Nvidia spokesman John Rizzo told the Times on Sunday. "Jensen is committed to continuing to lead Nvidia as C.E.O. without interruption."

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Huang, like other tech leaders, has flocked to Trump as the president embraces AI. The Nvidia leader and his wife, Lori Huang, attended a state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House in September. His attendance wasn't unusual, given that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg were also there.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio refused to say whether Huang was excluded from US briefings in light of the recent reporting. He told reporters Sunday before departing for France, "I just can't comment because of the nature of it."

Trump is a major backer of AI, trying to rebrand the technology as SI for "Super Intelligence" and loosen regulations.

While Huang may be an ally to the president, it will be hard to overlook a potential security breach from not only a US adversary, but also its top competitor in the AI race.

"We're leading China in AI," the president said in September amid concerns that AI could pose an existential threat to humans. "We're the most sophisticated country in the world. And frankly, I want to keep it that way because whoever wins AI, wins."

The Independent has reached out to the State Department and the White House for comment.