“I Had No Idea That She Was A Spy”: Trump Says Jensen Huang Denied Knowing Of Alleged Chinese Spy Links

Nvidia CEO and co-founder Jensen Huang is facing intense scrutiny after admitting to an extramarital relationship amid reports that the woman involved was suspected by US intelligence agencies of having links to Chinese intelligence.

Huang acknowledged the affair in an email to Nvidia employees on November 8, apologising to his wife, children and colleagues.

The development came as the company’s board announced an independent investigation into reports that the technology executive may have been targeted as part of a foreign intelligence operation.

The woman has been identified by media reports as Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, a Chinese businesswoman and former executive at Megaspeed International, a Singapore-based company that has done business with Nvidia. The two are not related, despite sharing the same surname.

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According to reports by The New York Times, US intelligence agencies suspected Alice Huang of gathering information about Jensen Huang for Beijing and attempting to influence Nvidia’s position on the export of advanced artificial intelligence chips to China.

The reports said intelligence officials intercepted communications involving Alice Huang and an American citizen.

Through a process known as ‘unmasking’, officials reportedly identified the American citizen as Jensen Huang.

In his message to employees, the Nvidia chief admitted to being unfaithful to his wife and took responsibility for the impact of his actions.

“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,” he wrote.

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Huang also acknowledged that his conduct had fallen short of his responsibilities to the company’s employees, board and shareholders. He said he would cooperate fully with the investigation and remained committed to leading Nvidia.

The controversy has drawn attention to Alice Huang’s professional links with Megaspeed International.

The company reportedly purchased more than $4.8 billion worth of Nvidia chips over the past two years. US authorities have also been examining allegations that Megaspeed may have helped move restricted Nvidia AI chips into China, potentially bypassing American export controls.

US intelligence officials reportedly suspected that Alice Huang had been recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security to obtain information about Nvidia and influence its chip-export strategy.

A classified warning about her alleged intelligence links was also reportedly circulated among senior Trump administration officials earlier this year.

However, the espionage allegations have not been publicly established, and China has rejected them.

US President Donald Trump said he spoke to Huang on November 9 and asked whether he knew about the woman’s alleged intelligence links. According to Trump, Huang said he had no idea she was a spy.

“I really believe him,” Trump told reporters, describing the Nvidia chief as an honourable person.

Trump also said he had not been significantly influenced by earlier reports about the intelligence concerns.

Meanwhile, Nvidia’s board has appointed a committee of independent directors, assisted by outside legal counsel, to examine whether Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation.

The board said it had no reason to believe that company secrets or US national security had been compromised. Nvidia also confirmed that Huang would continue as CEO during the investigation.

The developments have had an immediate impact on the company’s market performance. Nvidia shares fell more than four per cent on Monday, November 9, amid investor concerns over the allegations and the potential implications for the company.

The controversy has also renewed scrutiny of Nvidia’s role in the US-China competition over artificial intelligence technology.

Huang has previously advocated allowing certain advanced chip sales to China, while Washington has maintained restrictions over national security concerns.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated and described them as an attempt to smear the country.