What could Chinese intelligence have learned from Nvidia CEO’s affair?
US lawmakers are demanding answers from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang after he admitted to an extramarital affair with a woman accused of working for Chinese intelligence.
Republican leaders of three House committees have asked Jensen Huang to appear at a closed-door briefing to testify about his relationship with Alice Huang.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast said he was prepared to subpoena Huang if he did not respond by the end of Wednesday.
The affair, which Huang admitted to having during his time leading Nvidia, has raised concerns in Washington about potential national security compromises.
China chip sales
US intelligence officials believe Alice Huang was recruited by Chinese intelligence to gather information about the Nvidia CEO and influence him to push for looser restrictions on chip sales to China.
The potential for extortion is so tremendous that something as sensitive as Nvidia chips, I just think he’s got to go.
Senator Kevin Cramer called for Huang to resign, citing the immense risk of extortion involving the company's advanced technology.
Nvidia’s advanced chips, which power much of today’s artificial intelligence, have put the company at the centre of the race for tech dominance between China and the US.
Since 2022, Washington has restricted sales of some of the most advanced chips to China over concerns that they could be used by the country’s military or intelligence agencies.
Megaspeed investigation
The woman involved, Alice Huang, is a former executive at Singapore-based tech company Megaspeed, which has been accused of helping Chinese companies get access to restricted chips.
Megaspeed denies the allegation but has been investigated over it. The company bought more than $4.8bn worth of Nvidia chips over about two years.
Experts say it is worth looking at how Alice Huang may have influenced decisions Nvidia made specifically about her former employer.
Nvidia contacted the US Commerce Department about its investigation into Megaspeed, and disclosures to the government appeared to vastly undercount the value of the chips sold to the company.
Company response
In a statement on Sunday, Jensen Huang apologised to his family and Nvidia employees about the affair.
His company also launched an independent investigation, saying it had no reason to believe that either national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised.
Despite the pressure, US President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that the FBI was looking into the matter but has stood by Huang, calling him an "honourable guy".
Huang, who co-founded Nvidia more than 30 years ago, has shown no signs of heeding calls for his resignation.
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