Jensen Huang rescued Nvidia from bankruptcy on more than one occasion, and he took risks on AI a long time before the rest of the world did.
His decision to make Nvidia chips, originally designed for gaming, become the best in the business for AI development, has now paid off in spades and the company is worth trillions.
This is a big blow for a man who is renowned for being a workaholic, a perfectionist and someone who expects incredibly high standards from his staff.
Alice Huang, who is of no relation to Jensen Huang, is linked to Singapore-based data centre firm Megaspeed.
The company told the New York Times last month its current leadership took the allegations seriously and had appointed external legal advisers to conduct an internal investigation.
Nvidia is a central player in AI infrastructure, providing chips to leading AI model developers including OpenAI and Meta.
The microchip manufacturer is worth some $4.5 trillion, making it one of the most valuable companies ever.
US intelligence agencies had been monitoring Alice Huang and concluded that she was acting on behalf of the Chinese government, according to unnamed sources cited by the New York Times.
Surveillance reportedly revealed communications between Alice Huang and an American citizen, who was subsequently identified as Jensen Huang through a process known as “unmasking”.
It remains unclear what information Alice Huang – who is also known as Huang Le – allegedly passed to Beijing, how valuable it was, or when she is believed to have begun gathering intelligence.
Alice Huang did not respond to the paper’s request for comment.
Last week, members of Congress wrote to Jensen Huang, asking him to appear before them in the light of the reported relationship.
Three House Republican committee leaders asked the CEO to appear later in the month, to talk about Nvidia’s “security protocols against foreign adversary espionage” given his reported relationship with Alice Huang.
“Recent reports raise significant national security concerns regarding the PRC’s [China’s] access to sensitive US technology and information.
“The issue of PRC infiltration and access to cutting-edge US technology is core to the investigative work of our three committees this Congress,” the letter said.
Nvidia’s AI chips have been a major focus of the rivalry between the US and China, and Washington has previously imposed controls on where its advanced products can be sold.
The H200, Nvidia’s second most advanced semiconductor, had previously been restricted by Washington over concerns that it would give China’s technology industry an edge over the US.
In January, the Trump administration said it would allow the company to sell its H200 chips to Chinese customers under certain conditions.
