Jensen Huang’s woes evoke sympathy and disbelief

• By Yi-Chin Lee and Ann Wang / Reuters, TAIPEI

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) is drawing sympathy and disbelief in his birthplace, Taiwan, where he has rock star status, after dramatic revelations of his affair with a woman who could have been a Chinese spy.

Whenever he visits, adoring fans and excited reporters follow, hanging on every word from the most prolific salesman of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

Shock at news that Nvidia’s board and the FBI are investigating to determine if Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence effort is palpable in the Taipei businesses and restaurants he frequents on trips.

Ray Wang, owner of Manor Salon, holds his mobile phone showing a photograph of himself with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at the salon in Taipei yesterday.

Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters

“I thought it must be a lie, or fake news,” said Hsiao Kui-yu, whose store selling dried and candied fruit is among Huang’s inevitable stops at Taipei’s Siping (四平) market.

“We think of him as such a good boss, who takes such good care of people. How could something like this happen? Is it possible? I am very suspicious,” Hsiao, 68, said.

Huang’s Taipei barber, Ray Wang (王永泰), whose high-end shop is just around the corner from the luxury hotel where Huang often stays, said the two formed a bond when the CEO first visited in 2017.

“Every day I pray for Mr Huang, hoping he gets through this difficult time,” the 57-year-old said. “I really want to write him a letter of encouragement, but I feel this isn’t a good time, because he’s very busy.”

Born in Tainan before migrating to the US as a child, Huang has repeatedly praised Taiwanese tech companies for their role in the AI revolution.

The woman suspected of being a spy has previously been pictured with Huang on his visits to Taiwan.

The government has declined so far to directly address the details of the case, especially the espionage aspect.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) said he could comment on neither Huang nor the woman.

“I have no evidence, nor do I have the authority to investigate,” he told reporters at the legislature yesterday, when asked if he believed the woman was a spy.

Still, it was good that Huang had acknowledged his mistake in having an affair, said academic Liu I-li, as he waited for a table outside a pork knuckle restaurant Huang likes.

“We can’t judge a person by just one thing,” the 49-year-old added. “We should look at them more comprehensively. Nobody is without flaws.”