In brief
Nvidia’s board has set up a committee of independent directors to investigate claims that its CEO was targeted by foreign intelligence, stressing the protection of national security. Huang has pledged cooperation and will stay on as CEO. The inquiry follows allegations of a relationship between Huang and Alice Huang of Megaspeed and has drawn attention from U.S. officials and Chinese diplomats.
The board of Nvidia announced on Sunday that it will conduct an independent investigation after reports said its founder and chief executive Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation, according to Anadolu Agency.
A committee composed of independent directors, with outside legal counsel, will review all available information, the board said. It said national and economic security were priorities and that no reason exists yet that NVIDIA secrets were compromised.
Huang has pledged to cooperate with the review and will remain CEO during the inquiry.
Investigators were alerted by a classified memo from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that highlighted Huang’s relationship with Alice Huang, a senior executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed accused of working for China’s Ministry of State Security.
The New York Times reported that Huang admitted to the board he had been “intimate” with Alice Huang, and he apologized in a company message, saying, “There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.”
There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.
The apology apologized for being “unfaithful” to his wife, noting the harm to his family. Nvidia said Huang’s interactions with Alice Huang were “not unusual or unexpected” and that Megaspeed had never received classified data from the company.
China replied in October, labeling the allegations as unsubstantiated and a smear against its people. The investigation is expected to examine whether any confidential information was compromised.
