Nvidia Hires Top US Law Firm to Investigate CEO Jensen Huang’s Alleged Affair With Chinese Spy

Nvidia has hired prominent New York law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to investigate allegations surrounding its chief executive, Jensen Huang, and his reported romantic relationship with a woman suspected by the US government of spying for China.

Huang, who co-founded Nvidia and has overseen its rise into one of the world’s most valuable companies, admitted to having a romantic relationship with a woman outside his marriage.

The woman, identified as Alice Huang, is alleged to have links to Beijing’s intelligence operations. She previously served as an executive at Singapore-based company Megaspeed, which has done business with Nvidia.

In a statement on Tuesday, Nvidia announced that Wachtell attorney Joon Kim would lead what it described as “a thorough and independent investigation” into the matter. The FBI is also conducting a separate investigation.

Nvidia Faces Business and National Security Questions

The controversy has raised concerns because of Nvidia’s strategic importance to the global technology industry and the US artificial intelligence boom.

The company is the leading manufacturer of advanced computer chips used to power AI systems, making its relationship with a suspected Chinese intelligence operative a matter of potential business and national security significance.

Megaspeed had previously faced suspicions of helping divert Nvidia chips to China, although Nvidia has maintained that the concerns were investigated and debunked.

According to The New York Times, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a memo to senior officials in Washington in the spring of this year warning that Huang was in a close relationship with a Chinese spy.

China has rejected the allegations, with its Foreign Ministry saying the claims were “intended to smear and malign China”.

US President Donald Trump also addressed the controversy on Monday, saying he had spoken to Huang, who told him, “I had no idea she was a spy.”

Trump said he believed the Nvidia chief executive.

Nvidia Shares Lose More Than $500 Billion in Value

The controversy has emerged as Nvidia faces pressure in the stock market.

The company’s shares fell to a near-yearly low on Tuesday, wiping more than $500 billion (£375 billion) off its market value since Friday. The decline came even as technology stocks began recovering following last week’s market sell-off.

When Nvidia’s board announced on Sunday that it would investigate the matter, it said there was no reason to believe the company’s trade secrets or national security had been compromised.

However, the allegations have attracted growing political attention in Washington.

Leaders of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs have asked Huang to appear before the committee next week for a closed-door briefing.

The Nvidia boss has yet to confirm whether he will attend, according to a person familiar with the committee’s request who spoke to the BBC.

Committee chairman Congressman Brian Mast said he would issue a subpoena if necessary, effectively compelling Huang to appear.

Former US Attorney to Lead Investigation

Joon Kim, who will oversee Nvidia’s internal investigation, previously served as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

He also spent several years as a government lawyer handling fraud and other criminal matters.

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is among the largest law firms in the United States and has represented several major technology companies, including OpenAI and Salesforce.

Sources familiar with the mood within Nvidia told the BBC that the investigation was expected to be treated as urgent.

It remains unclear, however, whether the law firm will be able to interview Alice Huang, who is also known as Huang Le and is not related to Jensen Huang.

Nvidia CEO’s Public Image Under Scrutiny

Huang’s public profile has become closely associated with Nvidia’s success and the rapid development of artificial intelligence.

He has emerged as one of the most influential figures in the AI industry, repeatedly describing the technology as a “new industrial revolution” comparable to the advent of electricity.

The allegations therefore threaten to draw further scrutiny to both his personal life and his leadership of the technology giant.

An Nvidia spokesperson declined to comment on Tuesday when asked whether Huang had hired separate legal representation to deal with the company’s internal investigation and the FBI’s independent probe.