Nvidia announced Sunday it is launching an independent investigation into its chief executive and founder, Jensen Huang, over concerns he was the “target of a foreign intelligence effort.”
The statement, published on the company’s website, comes after US officials have expressed concern over Huang’s relationship with Alice Huang, an executive of Megaspeed, a Singapore-based company. (The two are not related.)
Separately, Jensen Huang admitted having an extramarital affair in a note to staff, though he did not name the other person in the affair.
The Financial Times previously reported that US intelligence provided information to US officials that the two were in a romantic relationship, according to unnamed people familiar with a memo on the intelligence, the FT reported. Nvidia is the world’s leading chipmaker amid the AI boom and has a market capitalization of about $4.5 trillion.
The company previously said in a statement that Jensen Huang’s meetings were “not unusual or un<a href="https://myappsplus.com/iphone-duo-2-expected-to-feature-48-megapixel-triple-camera-and-face-id/” title=”iPhone Duo 2 Expected to Feature 48-Megapixel Triple Camera and Face ID”>expected. Meetings with customers are part of a CEO’s job; Jensen talks with thousands of customer executives every year.” It added that any concerns about illegal chip diversion were “debunked last year.”
Nvidia said a committee of independent directors and outside counsel will oversee its investigation.
“The Board prioritizes U.S. national and economic security, which is paramount to the interests of NVIDIA and its shareholders,” the company said. But, the board “has no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised, the Board’s inquiry will examine all available information.”
“Today’s news will not slow NVIDIA. Jensen is committed to continuing to lead NVIDIA as CEO without interruption,” a spokesperson for Nvidia told CNN.
Huang, 63, said that he was “unfaithful” and hurt his wife and children in the note to Nvidia staff.
“I take full responsibility for what I did and the hurt I caused, and I accept the criticism that comes with it,” Huang said, adding that he supports Nvidia’s investigation. “I am committed to protecting NVIDIA and supporting America’s national security.”
President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has not spoken to Huang after Nvidia announced the investigation, but that he “probably has an excuse for it.”
“I have not spoken to him about it. I just know he’s a fine person, but you never know what is going on,” Trump told reporters as he left Florida.
Trump also mused that he “probably has an excuse for it.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters Sunday in Florida,declined tocomment on the Nvidia situation.
