Key Takeaways
- The article reports that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admitted infidelity in an employee email, apologizing to his family and colleagues: “There is no excuse for what I did.”
- According to the article, Nvidia’s board launched an independent investigation into his relationship with Megaspeed executive Alice Huang while expressing confidence in his leadership and reporting no reason to believe company secrets or national security suffered compromise.
- The article describes unconfirmed allegations of Alice Huang’s ties to Chinese intelligence, which China denies, and says House Republicans requested Jensen Huang’s attendance at a November 18 closed-door briefing.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has admitted to cheating on his wife as the tech giant launched an independent investigation into his relationship with a woman accused of having ties to Chinese intelligence, thed New York Times reports.
According to reports, Huang addressed the controversy in an email sent to Nvidia employees on Sunday (Nov. 8), acknowledging his infidelity and apologizing to his family, colleagues, and shareholders.
The message, published on Nvidia’s website under the title “A Message to Our Company,” came as the company’s board announced an investigation into Huang’s relationship with Alice Huang, an executive at Singapore-based tech company Megaspeed.
“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,” Huang wrote.
He also asked the public to respect his family’s privacy, adding, “My family bears no responsibility for my choices. I do. Please give them privacy.”
Huang apologized to Nvidia employees, board members, partners, and shareholders, telling them “you deserve better from me.”
“I am fully committed to NVIDIA and will work to earn back your confidence,” he added.
The controversy extends beyond Huang’s personal life, with reports alleging that Alice, a Chinese citizen whose company purchased Nvidia’s advanced processors, may have been recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security.
According to reports attributed to the New York Times and Financial Times, U.S. intelligence officials suspected Alice was tasked with gathering information about Huang and potentially influencing his position on American restrictions on advanced chip exports to China.
Those allegations have not been independently confirmed, and China’s foreign ministry has dismissed them as “baseless and purely slanderous smears against China.”
The two executives are not related.
Nvidia’s board announced that a committee of independent directors, assisted by outside legal counsel, would investigate the matter.
Despite the allegations, the board said it has “no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised” and “has confidence in Jensen and his leadership team.”
Nvidia spokesperson John Rizzo also defended Huang’s leadership, saying, “Today’s news will not slow NVIDIA. Jensen is committed to continuing to lead NVIDIA as CEO without interruption.”
However, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives described the investigation as a “black eye” for the company, warning that “there is clearly risk that Jensen could be removed as CEO depending on the Board investigation.”
The situation has attracted attention in Washington because Huang has advocated easing U.S. restrictions on exporting advanced AI chips to China. Megaspeed has separately faced scrutiny over suspicions involving restricted chip shipments.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to discuss the controversy, while Sen. Chris Coons said, “Congress will investigate and get answers.”
Huang could also face questions from lawmakers later this month. House Republicans have requested his attendance at a closed-door briefing scheduled for November 18, although his participation has not been confirmed.
