After he admits affair, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang faces probe amid reports of alleged Chinese intelligence targeting

Huang apologizes publicly

In a Sunday press release, Huang acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife and said his actions had hurt her and their children. He apologized to his family and others, and said there was no excuse for his conduct.

Huang also pledged to regain the trust of his wife, family and colleagues. He said he supports the investigation and will cooperate with it.

Board launches independent inquiry

Nvidia’s board said independent directors would lead a new investigation, with outside independent counsel assisting. The inquiry follows reports that Huang was targeted by what the board described as a foreign intelligence effort.

Reports link Huang to Megaspeed

The New York Times reported last month that U.S. spy agencies determined a Chinese intelligence asset had shared information with China’s government. The report identified the alleged agent as Alice Huang, who is not related to Jensen Huang, and said she had developed a close relationship with him.

Alice Huang is an executive at Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed. U.S. authorities took an interest in the company last year amid suspicions it was smuggling Nvidia chips to China, potentially bypassing U.S. export restrictions; Singapore also opened an investigation into possible local law violations.

Company and political responses

Huang said his interactions with Megaspeed were related to the company and were normal. Megaspeed said in December that it followed applicable export-control rules and maintained high legal and ethical standards.

Huang has criticized the loss of access to China’s market, calling it a tremendous loss, while expressing support for President Donald Trump. The Washington Post reported last month that Nvidia donated $25 million toward a new White House ballroom; Apple, Microsoft and Palantir also contributed.