Nvidia Launches Probe Into Alleged Chinese Spy Operation Targeting CEO Jensen Huang

09/11/2026

WASHINGTON, Nov 9: The board of directors of US technology giant Nvidia has launched an independent investigation into reports that its founder and Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation allegedly linked to China's Ministry of State Security.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Nvidia said a committee comprising independent directors, assisted by external legal counsel, would oversee the investigation and examine all available information.

The board stressed that US national and economic security remained paramount to the company's interests and those of its shareholders. However, it said it had "no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised."

Huang has expressed full support for the investigation and committed to cooperating with the review. The board also reaffirmed its confidence in Huang and his leadership team.

NVIDIA

The investigation follows reports by The New York Times and other media outlets that US intelligence agencies had identified Alice Huang, a senior executive associated with Singapore-based technology company Megaspeed, as someone allegedly recruited by China's Ministry of State Security to gather information on Jensen Huang.

According to the reports, the intelligence operation was intended to obtain information about Nvidia's advanced artificial intelligence chips and potentially influence the company's position on making its most sophisticated processors available to China.

US authorities have also scrutinised Megaspeed over allegations that it helped channel restricted AI semiconductors into mainland China, potentially bypassing US export controls. These allegations have not been established as findings of the Nvidia board's investigation.

The controversy took another turn after The New York Times reported that Jensen Huang acknowledged to Nvidia's board that he had an intimate relationship with Alice Huang.

In a message to company employees, Huang apologised for being unfaithful to his wife, acknowledging that his actions had hurt his wife and children.

"There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry," he said, according to reports published by Axios and other media outlets.

Nvidia had previously defended Huang's interactions with Alice Huang, describing them as normal business engagements. The company said its chief executive regularly meets executives from thousands of customer organisations and maintained that Megaspeed had not received classified corporate information or Nvidia trade secrets.

The controversy has also drawn congressional attention. Three Republican committee chairmen in the US House of Representatives have requested a closed-door briefing from Huang on November 18 regarding his interactions with Alice Huang and the company's safeguards against foreign intelligence operations.

Meanwhile, China has rejected the allegations, describing reports linking its intelligence agencies to the alleged operation as baseless and politically motivated.

Republican Foreign Affairs Committee

Huang is expected to continue leading Nvidia while the independent investigation proceeds.