Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s Extramarital Affair Could Cause Collateral Damage in Washington

Affair brings scrutiny to Washington

Jensen Huang, 63, leads Nvidia, which makes highly sought-after computer chips and is central to U.S. ambitions in artificial intelligence. His relationship with President Donald Trump has also put him close to the administration’s efforts to promote the industry.

The affair has become a matter of public concern because Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based cloud computing company Megaspeed, has been linked to allegations of espionage and chip transfers to China. The controversy has prompted bipartisan calls for congressional investigations, a Justice Department inquiry and an internal Nvidia review.

Megaspeed faces export inquiry

The U.S. Commerce Department scrutinized Megaspeed last year over allegations that it evaded U.S. export laws and routed many advanced Nvidia chips to Chinese users. Megaspeed denied the allegations. U.S. intelligence officials later concluded Alice Huang had spied for China, The New York Times reported.

The Commerce Department inquiry was transferred to the Justice Department. Its National Security Division is examining whether Megaspeed violated export controls, with scrutiny of Alice Huang also included, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke anonymously about the ongoing investigation.

Nvidia board expresses confidence

Nvidia’s board said it had “no reason to believe” national security or company secrets were compromised. It said Huang would stay in charge and cooperate with the investigation. Beijing called the Chinese spy allegation “unsubstantiated” and said it was “nothing but smears.”