What do Taiwanese think of Jen-Hsun Huang? "Fortune Star": Affair does not damage popularity, the volume "This Matter" fell from the altar

AI godfather Huang Renxun has been exposed to extramarital affairs one after another and resigned as CEO of Huida on the 12th. However, for Taiwan, Huang Renxun is not only the CEO of a technology giant. The founder of Huida, who was born in Tainan, often visits Taiwan to have dinner with technology elites, attracting many fans wherever he goes. Analysts say Taiwanese people may forgive him for his personal missteps, but the fear that Chinese intelligence services could exploit his relationship with an affair partner is another matter, as Taiwan views Beijing's espionage on its tech industry as a long-term national security threat.

"Fortune" reported on the 12th that few places are betting more on Huang Renxun's status and reputation than Taiwan. Taiwan's TSMC, Foxconn and other suppliers form the backbone of Huida's business, and Huang Renxun is regarded as the light of Taiwan.

However, after it was reported that he had an affair with Huang Le, a suspected Chinese spy, and his subordinate, Vice President of Healthcare Powell, Huang Renxun resigned as CEO of Faida, and CFO Kress was appointed as acting CEO.

In Taiwan, analysts believe that the extramarital affair will not damage Huang's celebrity status because his career achievements have made people proud. Chen Fangyu, associate professor of the Department of Political Science at Soochow University, said, "Huang Renxun is a rock star in the high-tech industry. People think he has made extraordinary achievements and are very proud that Taiwan can produce such a world-class entrepreneur."

However, his involvement in Chinese intelligence allegations may pose a more serious threat to his position.

Wang Hongren, a professor of political science at National Cheng Kung University, said, "If Chinese intelligence agents are able to exploit Huida's highest-level business relationships, we must explore whether there are similar vulnerabilities in related networks." He added that the accusation that Huang Le is a Chinese spy raises legitimate questions about the security of the supply chain and deserves further examination.

"This is particularly important for Taiwan because China's intelligence activities targeting Taiwan's technology industry have been a long-standing national security concern," he said.

Wang Hongren pointed out that the relationship with Huang Le has a limited impact on Huang Renxun's reputation in Taiwan, because Taiwanese people affirm his contribution to the technology industry. "If the controversy mainly stops at personal misconduct, I think Huang Renxun's popularity will not be affected." However, he added that Huang's status in Taiwan may change depending on the results of the investigation.

He said the situation would become more serious if the investigation found that sensitive technology, confidential business information or controlled AI chips had been transferred to China through extramarital relationships. And if the evidence proves that Taiwanese companies or individuals in Huida's supply chain are also involved, the harm will be even greater.

He pointed out that from Taiwan's perspective, advanced AI chips are no longer just commercial products, but strategically important technologies with military and national security significance. If the investigation into Huida proves that China's intelligence network uses these commercial relationships, Huang Renxun's previous claims to sell advanced chips to China will face stricter scrutiny in Taiwan.