Nvidia board investigates CEO Jensen Huang over espionage claims
The chipmaker is probing whether its chief executive was targeted by a foreign intelligence effort following his admission of an affair.
Nvidia is conducting an investigation into its chief executive officer, Jensen Huang, to determine if he was the target of a foreign intelligence operation, according to Al Jazeera on Sunday. The company stated that a committee of independent directors and outside counsel will oversee the probe.
The investigation follows reports that Huang had an intimate relationship with Alice Huang, the CEO of Singapore-based Megaspeed. US officials suspect the woman may have been recruited by a Chinese intelligence agency to gather information about Nvidia's technology.
In an email to employees, Huang admitted to being unfaithful to his wife, stating that his conduct caused pain to his family. He expressed his intention to cooperate fully with the inquiry and reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the company and US national security.
Nvidia's board of directors said it currently has no reason to believe that company secrets or national security were compromised. However, the board noted that the inquiry will examine all available information. The company maintained that it has confidence in the leadership of Huang.
Huang will continue to lead the chipmaker while the investigation is underway. The matter has drawn attention from US lawmakers, with Republican representatives calling for Huang to testify before Congress on November 18 to address potential risks to national security.