> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://theainewsfiles.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Nvidia's board opens an independent investigation into Jensen Huang's relationship with a Megaspeed executive
- URL: https://theainewsfiles.com/nvidia-board-investigation-jensen-huang-megaspeed-executive/
- Published: 2026-11-09T07:50:34.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-09T07:50:34.000Z
- Description: Nvidia's board announced an independent investigation on Sunday after reporting that CEO Jensen Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort. In a memo, Huang admitted an affair.
- Author: J E Cowie
- Tags: News

Nvidia's board of directors announced on Sunday 8 November that it is launching an independent investigation following reports that CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by a Chinese spy operation. CNBC says the investigation concerns Huang's involvement with Alice Huang, whom it describes as a Chinese citizen and executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based tech company that the US has suspected of helping China circumvent AI chip sales prohibitions; TechCrunch describes her as a former Megaspeed executive. A committee of independent directors, assisted by outside independent counsel, will oversee it.

## What the board said

In its statement, the board said it was acting in light of recent reporting that Huang has been the target of a foreign intelligence effort. It said it prioritises US national and economic security, and that while it has no reason to believe national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised, its inquiry will examine all available information. The board also said Huang fully supports the review and has committed to cooperating with it, and that it has confidence in him and his leadership team and will provide further updates as appropriate. Nvidia also told CNBC in a statement: "Today's news will not slow NVIDIA. Jensen is committed to continuing to lead NVIDIA as CEO without interruption."

## Huang's memo to staff

Nvidia published a message that Huang sent to the company admitting he had an affair. TechCrunch, CNBC and The Verge link the relationship to Alice Huang, though TechCrunch notes he did not mention her by name in the message. "I owe my family and all of you an apology," Huang wrote, according to TechCrunch. "I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry." TechCrunch reports that he added he had "fallen short" of his responsibility to the company, and that he told colleagues, the board, partners and shareholders: "you deserve better from me." CNBC notes that the affair was not mentioned in the board's statement.

## The reporting behind it

On 6 November, The Verge relayed a New York Times report that China's intelligence agency had recruited Alice Huang to spy on Jensen Huang. According to the Times, the Ministry of State Security enlisted her to glean information about American AI chips and "potentially influence the company to push for its most advanced chips to be made available to China." The Verge, citing the Times, also reported that Megaspeed is a Nvidia customer and that Alice Huang has "relationships with executives at the highest levels of the A.I. chip industry," including leaders at Gigabyte. The Verge later reported that Megaspeed is the subject of a Commerce Department investigation into whether it was smuggling AI chips to China.

TechCrunch reported on 7 November that a memo circulated earlier this year claimed Alice Huang was recruited by China's Ministry of State Security, according to multiple media reports. TechCrunch says the New York Times was first to report on the memo, and that the Financial Times subsequently reported that the memo, supposedly based on US intelligence, also claimed Jensen Huang had a romantic relationship with her. CNBC, citing the Times, says policymakers in the Trump administration received the memo last spring, and that the Times reported on Sunday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio oversaw its creation, citing people briefed on the matter. The Verge reports that US officials believe she was feeding information directly back to Beijing.

The admitted affair and the intelligence claims are separate things: Huang's memo admits the former, while the recruitment claim is reported by media citing US intelligence and officials.

## What Nvidia said earlier

An Nvidia spokesperson told the Times that Huang's interactions with Alice Huang were "not unusual," and that the company does not share classified information with its customers. The spokesperson also said the company sells "the first, best and most of our technology in America," according to TechCrunch. Nvidia spokesman John Rizzo told the Times that the interactions were consistent with meetings Huang has had with any of Nvidia's customers, and declined to comment when asked whether Huang would appear before lawmakers.

## Congress asks questions

Three House Republican committee chairs sent Huang a letter on Wednesday, according to CNBC, asking him to sit for a closed-door briefing with lawmakers on 18 November, a day after Nvidia is scheduled to report third-quarter earnings. In the letter, the Republicans wrote: "Recent reports raise significant national security concerns regarding the \[People's Republic of China's\] access to sensitive U.S. technology and information." Democratic lawmakers separately called for an investigation or testimony, according to CNBC.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., posted on X on Saturday: "The more I learn about the insane relationship between the Trump Administration, Chinese spies, and AI billionaires, the more I'm convinced there is nothing this administration does that isn't corrupt." CNBC notes that Coons is in line to chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when his party takes control of the chamber in January. Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., who sits on the House Committee on Homeland Security, called on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify along with Huang, CNBC reports.

## A separate report on New Matrix

A separate New York Times report examined New Matrix, a Chinese company authorised by the US Commerce Department to buy advanced Nvidia chips. At New Matrix's listed office address, TechCrunch says, reporters found only "a hollow gray shell," raising concerns that it could be a front for a blacklisted private equity firm. Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, shared the Times article, which CNBC describes as reporting that the Trump administration approved New Matrix to assemble chips for Nvidia in Beijing, and called the report "outrageous" in his post on X.

![Nvidia's corporate headquarters building, exterior](https://theainewsfiles.com/content/images/2026/11/shot2_nvidia-s-corporate-headquarters-building.jpg)

Nvidia's headquarters.

## Sources

Ha, A. (2026) 'Megaspeed exec was recruited to spy on Nvidia CEO, according to US intelligence memo', TechCrunch, 7 November 2026, available at: [https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/07/chinese-exec-was-recruited-to-spy-on-nvidia-ceo-according-to-us-intelligence-memo/](https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/07/chinese-exec-was-recruited-to-spy-on-nvidia-ceo-according-to-us-intelligence-memo/?ref=theainewsfiles.com) (Accessed: 8 November 2026).

Ha, A. (2026) 'Nvidia will investigate CEO Jensen Huang’s relationship with possible Chinese spy', TechCrunch, 8 November 2026, available at: [https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/08/nvidia-says-its-investigating-ceo-jensen-huangs-relationship-with-possible-chinese-spy/](https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/08/nvidia-says-its-investigating-ceo-jensen-huangs-relationship-with-possible-chinese-spy/?ref=theainewsfiles.com) (Accessed: 8 November 2026).

McNair, K. (2026) 'Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang faces bipartisan congressional scrutiny over reported China spy link', CNBC, 8 November 2026, available at: [https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/08/jensen-huang-nvidia-china-spy-congress.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/08/jensen-huang-nvidia-china-spy-congress.html?ref=theainewsfiles.com) (Accessed: 8 November 2026).

NVIDIA Newsroom (n.d.) 'Statement from NVIDIA Board of Directors', NVIDIA Newsroom, available at: [https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/statement-from-nvidia-board-of-directors](https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/statement-from-nvidia-board-of-directors?ref=theainewsfiles.com) (Accessed: 8 November 2026).

O'Brien, T. (2026) 'Nvidia is investigating Jensen Huang’s relationship with a Chinese spy', The Verge, 8 November 2026, available at: [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1029562/nvidia-investigating-jensen-huang-relationship-chinese-spy](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1029562/nvidia-investigating-jensen-huang-relationship-chinese-spy?ref=theainewsfiles.com) (Accessed: 8 November 2026).

Peters, J. (2026) 'China reportedly recruited AI exec to spy on Jensen Huang', The Verge, 6 November 2026, available at: [https://www.theverge.com/tech/1029338/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-china-spy](https://www.theverge.com/tech/1029338/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-china-spy?ref=theainewsfiles.com) (Accessed: 8 November 2026).

## Picture credits

- Top picture: Jensen Huang, Nvidia's founder and chief executive. Jensen Huang at the first Li Guodong Award ceremony, 9 Nov 2023 — photo: 總統府 (Taiwan Presidential Office), [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=theainewsfiles.com), via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=148923909&ref=theainewsfiles.com)
- Nvidia's headquarters. Photo: Coolcaesar, via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=122680716&ref=theainewsfiles.com) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/?ref=theainewsfiles.com))