Nvidia board launches probe into allegations of Chinese intelligence operation
Nvidia is investigating whether CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation involving a former executive.
Nvidia's board of directors has announced an independent investigation to determine if CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. The probe, overseen by a committee of directors and external legal counsel, follows reports linking Huang to Alice Huang, a former executive at the Singapore-based firm Megaspeed International.
According to Al Jazeera, US intelligence officials believe Alice Huang was recruited by Beijing to gather information about the Nvidia chief and potentially influence chip sales to China. Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, is a Chinese citizen and former senior executive at Megaspeed, which is one of Nvidia's largest customers.
Jensen Huang admitted on Sunday in a staff memo that he had been unfaithful to his wife. While the company stated it has no evidence that proprietary information or national security has been breached, the stock price fell by more than 4 per cent in overnight trading into Monday.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the espionage claims on Monday, with spokesperson Guo Jiakun calling the narrative of a Chinese spy "entirely baseless vilification." The Global Times also accused US media of using a corporate matter to create a dramatic espionage script.
The controversy has drawn attention from US lawmakers. Republican Congressmen John Moolenaar, Brian Mast, and Rick Crawford have called for Huang to testify before Congress on November 18, while Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren has demanded answers regarding the protection of American technology.
