Jensen Huang Admits Affair as Nvidia Opens Inquiry

Nvidia’s board of directors said Sunday, Nov. 8, that it is opening an independent inquiry after reports that founder and chief executive Jensen Huang was the target of foreign intelligence activity. The same day, Huang told employees in a message that he had been intimate with Alice Huang, a Chinese national whom US agencies suspect was recruited by Chinese intelligence. The board’s statement does not mention the relationship.

What did Huang tell employees?

Huang, 63, addressed his family first in the message:

“I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did.”

He added in the same message: “I know an apology cannot undo what I did.” He had earlier described his dealings with Alice Huang as business in nature and entirely routine, tied to the company Megaspeed.

What does the board say?

A committee of independent directors is overseeing the inquiry, together with outside independent counsel. In its Nov. 8 statement, the board said:

“The board has no reason to believe that national security or Nvidia’s secrets have been compromised. The board’s inquiry will examine all available information.”

The company says Huang will stay at the helm without interruption. President Donald Trump publicly backed him the same day, calling him a “fine man” and saying he would take him along on an upcoming trip to Asia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to comment on the case to reporters in Florida, saying it was an internal company matter.

Who is Alice Huang, and why does she matter to Washington?

Alice Huang is an executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed, which bought advanced Nvidia chips. The two Huangs are not related. US agencies suspect Megaspeed helped China get around restrictions on selling AI chips, and by their assessment China’s Ministry of State Security recruited Alice Huang to gather information on Huang.

The New York Times reported Friday, Nov. 6, that the Trump administration received a memo about the relationship last spring. On Sunday the paper added that Rubio oversaw the drafting of the memo. Nvidia had earlier said, through a spokesperson, that Huang’s meetings with Alice Huang were consistent with the meetings he holds with the company’s customers.

How is Beijing responding?

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun responded Monday, Nov. 9, at a press conference in Beijing:

“The so-called accusation of a Chinese spy is unsubstantiated. It is nothing more than a smear against China.”

What does Congress want?

The pressure is coming from both sides. Three Republican House committee chairs, Brian Mast, John Moolenaar and Rick Crawford, asked last week that Huang brief lawmakers behind closed doors on Nov. 18. That date falls the day after Nvidia reports third-quarter results.

Democrat Chris Coons, a senator from Delaware who is due to take over the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in January, wrote on X on Saturday, Nov. 7: “Congress will investigate and get answers.” Rep. Seth Magaziner wants Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify alongside Huang. Separately, Republican Sen. John Cornyn called “outrageous” a New York Times report that the Trump administration had allowed a Chinese firm, New Matrix, to assemble chips for Nvidia in Beijing, even though the Times found no evidence of serious business activity at its address.

Why are the stakes high for Nvidia?

Nvidia was worth nearly $4.5 trillion on Friday, making it the second most valuable publicly traded company in the world. Trump awarded Huang the National Medal of Science in October. The first dates to watch are Nov. 17, when the company reports earnings, and Nov. 18, when the closed-door congressional briefing has been requested. Huang has not yet confirmed that he will appear before lawmakers, and an Nvidia spokesperson left the question unanswered.