Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has admitted he was unfaithful to his wife, as Nvidia’s board opened an independent probe into reports that he was targeted by a foreign intelligence effort. The spying claims are unproven. No evidence has been made public that Nvidia secrets were compromised.

Key takeaways

  • Jensen Huang admitted the affair in a message to Nvidia staff on Sunday, 8 November, and apologised to his wife, children and staff.
  • Nvidia’s board opened an independent probe by a committee of independent directors, with outside lawyers.
  • The probe is into reports that Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort. The board says it has no reason to believe secrets were compromised.
  • The woman at the centre of the reports is Alice Huang, a former executive of Singapore-based Megaspeed. US officials are reported to suspect she worked for Chinese intelligence. That is an allegation, not a proven fact.
  • Huang stays as CEO and is cooperating with the probe.

01. What Huang said

Huang wrote to staff: “I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did.” He said he supports the investigation and will cooperate fully. He did not name anyone in the message.

Nvidia said Huang is committed to leading the company without a break. The board said it has confidence in Huang and his leadership team.

02. What the reports allege

The New York Times reported that US intelligence officials had concluded that Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, was recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security. The reports say she passed information to Beijing. China has rejected the claims.

It is important to keep two things apart. Huang’s admission of the affair is confirmed by Nvidia itself. The spying claims are allegations from unnamed US officials, reported in the press. They are not a court finding. The reports also say US officials believed Huang was unaware of her suspected activities.

Alice Huang is a Chinese businesswoman and former executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data centre company that buys AI chips from Nvidia. The two share a surname. They are not related.

03. What happens next

The board’s committee will examine all available information, with outside independent lawyers. No timetable has been given. Three Republican House committee chairs have asked Huang for a closed-door briefing on 18 November about his links with Alice Huang and Nvidia’s safeguards.

Read more tech news on Newsy, including our India-EU Horizon Europe story.

04. FAQs

Did Jensen Huang admit the affair?
Yes. He told Nvidia staff on Sunday that he was unfaithful to his wife and apologised.

Was Nvidia spied on?
That is not proven. US officials are reported to suspect Alice Huang worked for Chinese intelligence, but no evidence has been made public that Nvidia secrets were compromised. Nvidia’s board says it has no reason to believe they were.

Is Huang still CEO?
Yes. He stays as CEO while the probe goes on, and he is cooperating with it.