In a recent development, US President Donald Trump has confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is probing an alleged affair between Jensen Huang, the chief executive officer (CEO) of tech giant Nvidia, and a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy. The President disclosed this during a press briefing at the White House, stating that he had spoken with Huang on Monday following reports suggesting that US intelligence believes the woman, identified as Alice Huang or Huang Le, is a Chinese spy. Trump shared that Huang had informed him that he was unaware of her alleged ties to espionage. The FBI has declined to comment on the matter when contacted by the BBC.
The allegations of Huang's relationship with a Chinese spy have raised concerns due to Nvidia's significant role in the AI technology race between the US and China. Reports suggest that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had issued a memo warning about Huang's close relationship with Alice Huang, who was managing director of Singaporean company Megaspeed, which has dealings with Nvidia. The controversy has led to a significant dip in Nvidia's market value, with shares falling by more than 4% on Monday, wiping out about $250 billion from the company's worth.
The alleged relationship between Huang and the suspected Chinese spy has also sparked a proposed class action lawsuit in California, accusing Nvidia and its CEO of defrauding shareholders by concealing his ties with the woman, who is reportedly suspected of seeking to help smuggle Nvidia products to China. The BBC has reached out to Nvidia for comment on both the investigation and the lawsuit.
Despite the intense scrutiny, it appears that business is continuing as usual at Nvidia's headquarters in Santa Clara. Founded by Jensen Huang with two other engineers in 1993, Nvidia has grown into one of the world's most valuable companies, with a recent focus on AI development. However, its relationship with China and the allegations surrounding Huang's personal life have brought renewed attention to the company's dealings with foreign entities.