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Nvidia’s board of directors announced Sunday that it’s launching an independent investigation following reports that CEO Jensen Huang had been targeted by a Chinese spy operation.
Bloomberg and other outlets reported that Huang sent a message to the company admitting that he had an affair with Alice Huang, an executive at Singapore-based chip company Megaspeed.
A memo circulated among U.S. policymakers earlier this year claimed that Alice Huang had been recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security to spy on Nvidia’s CEO.
“I owe my family and all of you an apology,” Jensen Huang wrote in his memo. “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 added that he’d “fallen short’ of his responsibility to the company.
“To my colleagues at NVIDIA, including those I have worked alongside for decades, and to our board, partners, and shareholders around the world: you deserve better from me,” he said.
AI chips, including those created by Nvidia, have been a major focus in the trade war between the United States and China. Huang also seems to have a close relationship with President Donald Trump.
In its announcement, Nvidia’s board said that it has “no reason to believe” that either national security nor company secrets were compromised, and that Huang “fully supports the review and has committed to cooperating with it.” The board also said it has “confidence in Jensen and his leadership team.”
The investigation will be conducted by independent directors working with outside legal counsel.
In response to earlier reports about its CEO’s relationship with Alice Huang, Nvidia had said that the pair’s interactions were “not unusual,” and that the company does not share classified information with customers.
Other companies involved in the AI boom have warned employees to be wary of possible spies, including those offering sex or romance.
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Anthony Ha is TechCrunch’s weekend editor. Previously, he worked as a tech reporter at Adweek, a senior editor at VentureBeat, a local government reporter at the Hollister Free Lance, and vice president of content at a VC firm. He lives in New York City.
You can contact or verify outreach from Anthony by emailing [email protected].
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