Nvidia’s board has opened an investigation after reports that CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence effort, while saying it has no reason to believe the company’s secrets or national security were compromised. The board announced the review on Sunday, Nov. 8, according to Euronews.
The board said Huang supports the review and has committed to cooperating. In a letter to employees, Huang said he took “full responsibility” for his actions and apologized to his family and colleagues. He also said he remained committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting U.S. national security.
The claims about a possible intelligence operation and Huang’s personal relationship stem from reporting by The New York Times, as described by Euronews. That report said U.S. intelligence had identified close ties between Huang and Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen and executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data center operator and Nvidia customer. The allegations have not been established by the board’s announcement.
Earlier denials and company response
In coverage published on Oct. 30, Euronews reported that China rejected the accusations. Nvidia said Huang’s interactions with Alice Huang were not unusual and that regional customers received ordinary business information, not sensitive secrets or information relevant to national security.
The board’s statement does not say what evidence the review will examine or when it may conclude. It said it would conduct a thorough investigation and that it currently had no reason to believe either Nvidia information or national security had been compromised.
Asked on Sunday whether he should have acted sooner on the intelligence reports, U.S. President Donald Trump praised Huang, calling him “an honorable guy” and saying he had done “an amazing job for our country.”
Clayton Ward