Jensen Huang Row: How a Singapore firm, China spy allegations and Nvidia are linked

Chipmaking giant Nvidia has launched an investigation into reports that Chinese intelligence targeted its chief executive, Jensen Huang, through a woman who was a former executive at the firm Megaspeed. The controversy brings renewed scrutiny to a Singapore-based data centre operator that American authorities have separately investigated since 2024, over suspicions that it was helping China access restricted artificial intelligence (AI) chips.

On being asked about the allegations, US President Donald Trump said, “I have not spoken to him ​about it. I just know he’s a ​fine person, but you never know what is going on,” he told reporters. “I hope everything’s fine,” he said, adding that Huang was an “honourable guy” and that “he probably has an excuse for ​it. ⁠You have to hear it.”

The row has spotlighted Megaspeed’s Chinese origins, its purchase of billions of dollars worth of Nvidia equipment, and allegations that the company has received financing from Chinese technology giant Alibaba, despite being registered in Singapore.

The company has also been at the centre of concerns in Washington over whether American export restrictions can effectively prevent Chinese businesses from accessing advanced AI computing power through data centres in third countries.

What are the allegations against Jensen Huang?

Recent media reports claimed that Huang had a relationship with a woman named Alice Huang. In a message posted to the company on Sunday (November 8), he confirmed the claims, stating, “I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.”

The same day, Nvidia said a committee of independent directors, assisted by outside legal counsel, would investigate the allegations. While the board said it had no reason to believe company secrets or US national security had been compromised, it would examine all available information.

The allegations have also brought renewed scrutiny to Huang’s lobbying of the Donald Trump administration to ease restrictions on Nvidia’s chip exports to China. This position has drawn criticism from US lawmakers and national security officials concerned that Beijing could use advanced American AI technology to strengthen its military capabilities. Huang has repeatedly argued that supplying inferior quality chips to China would help stem the growth of its domestic industries and innovation.

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But after the spying allegations, the possibility that a suspected Chinese intelligence operative had personal access to Huang has further heightened concerns over whether Beijing could have sought to influence his advocacy for easing these restrictions.

While American export controls prohibit the unauthorised shipment of certain advanced chips to China, Chinese companies can potentially obtain access to comparable computing power by renting infrastructure housed in other countries. Such arrangements are not necessarily illegal, but they have complicated Washington’s attempts to restrict Beijing’s AI capabilities.

The global AI boom has propelled Nvidia into becoming one of the world’s most valuable companies (currently valued at over $4.5 trillion), as technology giants such as Microsoft, Google, Meta and Amazon spend billions of dollars building AI infrastructure powered by its advanced chips. Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs) have become central to training and running sophisticated AI models, giving the company a dominant position in the market for AI computing hardware.

Megaspeed, and its alleged links to China

Megaspeed is a Singapore-registered company that provides AI computing capacity through data centres in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia and Indonesia. Its origins, however, can be traced to 7Road, a Chinese gaming and cloud-computing company that US lawmakers have described as having links to the Chinese government. Megaspeed was previously incorporated as 7Road International before adopting its present name in 2023.

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Despite Nvidia maintaining that Megaspeed has no Chinese shareholders and is operated outside China, its business dealings have raised questions about the extent of its links with Chinese technology companies.

According to trade records cited by The New York Times, a Malaysian affiliate of Megaspeed purchased at least $4.8 billion worth of advanced AI equipment containing Nvidia technology between June 2024 and February 2026. The company has reportedly supplied computing capacity to Alibaba and other Chinese businesses, allowing them to access Nvidia-powered infrastructure located outside China.

American authorities had begun examining Megaspeed’s operations well before the alleged Chinese intelligence operation involving Huang came to light.

The US Commerce Department started investigating the company in late 2024, after an official visiting one of its data centres in Malaysia reportedly found Nvidia equipment still packed in boxes, raising suspicions that the chips could be shipped elsewhere rather than installed at the facility.

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According to reports, American officials subsequently examined whether Megaspeed was diverting chips to China in violation of US export controls. The investigation was transferred to the US Department of Justice earlier this year.

In October 2025, Republican Senator Tom Cotton also wrote to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, calling for an investigation into Megaspeed’s ownership, affiliations and potential violations of American export restrictions. Cotton flagged the routing of Nvidia equipment through intermediaries, including a US subsidiary of Inspur, a Chinese technology company whose parent had been placed on Washington’s trade blacklist.

What Nvidia, Megaspeed argued

Singaporean authorities have also confirmed an ongoing investigation into Megaspeed for suspected breaches of domestic laws. However, neither the American nor Singaporean investigations have publicly established that Megaspeed illegally diverted chips to China. The company has denied wrongdoing, while Nvidia has maintained that its checks found no evidence of diversion.

In May 2026, short-selling firm Culper Research published a report alleging that Megaspeed had received financial backing linked to Alibaba through intermediary companies, despite claims that it was not Chinese-owned.

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Citing corporate filings, Culper said Megaspeed’s balance sheet expanded from $33 million at the end of 2023 to $3 billion in 2024, driven largely by $2.9 billion in refundable deposits from an undisclosed source.

The report also pointed to filings showing that Megaspeed’s Malaysian subsidiary, Speedmatrix, had pledged its business as collateral to Singapore-based Apex Enterprise Solutions, whose parent company was Alibaba. Culper alleged that these arrangements suggested Alibaba-linked financing was being channelled into purchases of Nvidia-powered servers.

More broadly, Culper alleged that over 20% of Nvidia’s FY2026 compute revenue was ultimately driven by Chinese demand through Southeast Asian intermediaries and illegal chip diversion. The firm disclosed that it held a short position in Nvidia, meaning it stood to benefit from a fall in the company’s share price. Its allegations remain unproven.

The Chinese espionage allegations

The latest allegations centre on Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, a Chinese citizen and former Megaspeed executive whom US intelligence officials reportedly concluded was passing information to Beijing.

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The New York Times reported that she had developed a close relationship with Nvidia’s chief executive, while reports have suggested that China’s Ministry of State Security had recruited her to gather information about Huang and potentially influence his position on chip exports. In his message to Nvidia employees, Huang apologised and accepted responsibility for his conduct. He did not identify the other person in his statement.

China has rejected the espionage allegations. Singapore, on its part, has clarified that it did not investigate Alice Huang over alleged intelligence ties, distinguishing that allegation from its ongoing investigation into Megaspeed.

Singaporean authorities are separately investigating Megaspeed for suspected violations of domestic laws, although the Singapore Police Force has not disclosed the specific offences under examination. The authorities have said Singapore does not enforce unilateral US export restrictions, but will act against companies using the country to circumvent foreign controls through fraudulent practices. On October 31, Singapore clarified that the Megaspeed investigation was unrelated to allegations involving former executive Alice Huang’s suspected links to Chinese intelligence, which it said it had not investigated.

Why this matters for the US-China AI race

The controversy comes amid Washington’s efforts to restrict China’s access to advanced AI technology, particularly Nvidia’s most powerful processors, which can have military and intelligence applications. Huang’s close relationship with Trump and his lobbying for exports are also under the scanner.

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Three Republican chairmen of US House committees have requested a closed-door briefing from Huang on November 18, citing significant national security concerns over China’s access to American technology and information.