Jensen Huang admits to having an affair with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy... Commencement of independent investigation of the Board of Directors (comprehensive)

Hwang, “There is no excuse for being unfaithful to my wife… It is best to protect Nvidia and U.S. security.”

Board of Directors "We will closely review all information... There are no circumstances of security or confidential information leaks."

(San Francisco = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kwon Young-jeon = NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang admitted to having an affair with a female businesswoman suspected of being a spy for the Chinese intelligence agency.

Nvidia's board of directors issued an official statement on the 8th (local time) and announced, "We have launched an independent investigation regarding recent reports that founder and CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence agency."

The board of directors announced that an independent director committee advised by an external independent lawyer will oversee the investigation, and CEO Hwang also promised to actively cooperate with the investigation.

He continued, “The board of directors places the highest priority on the national and economic security of the United States, which are the most important factors for the interests of NVIDIA and its shareholders,” and added, “We will carefully review all information available during the investigation.”

However, the board of directors added, "There is no basis to believe that national security or Nvidia's secrets were leaked," and added, "We trust Jensen and the management."

CEO Hwang also said in a separate message, "I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt my wife and children, and there is no room for excuses for what I did. I apologize to my family and all employees."

He confessed that he had let his family down even though they had shown him love and support throughout his life, and that he would take responsibility for that and accept criticism.

He confessed to his wife and family, "I love you. I know that an apology won't take back what I did," and "I hope that my family can heal their wounds and, over time, I can regain their trust."

At the same time, he asked the family to respect their privacy as they have no responsibility in this matter.

Regarding company management, he said, "It is the privilege of my life to lead NVIDIA," and "I will work hard to regain your trust."

In particular, regarding concerns raised regarding national security, he emphasized, "I love our country and our company. I will do my best to protect NVIDIA and protect America's national security," and added, "I am proud and grateful to be an American."

Suspicions have been raised that CEO Hwang is in a romantic relationship with Alice Hwang (Chinese name Huang Le), a Chinese businesswoman who has been identified as a spy by China's intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security (MSS).

Alice Hwang, a former executive at Megaspeed, a Singaporean data center company, has been under surveillance by U.S. intelligence authorities on suspicion of attempting to collect advanced AI semiconductor secrets and U.S. administration trends by approaching CEO Hwang.

The two were spotted sitting side by side drinking at a bar in Taipei, Taiwan in June 2024, and there were media reports that U.S. intelligence agencies were judging the two to be in a romantic relationship.

As suspicions arose that CEO Hwang was in contact with a Chinese intelligence agent, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (Democrat, Delaware) announced that Congress would investigate to reveal the truth, and was also asked to appear to answer the suspicions at a joint briefing by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Special Committee on U.S.-China Strategic Competition, and the Intelligence Committee, all chaired by Republican lawmakers.

Nvidia spokesman John Rizzo told the U.S. online media Axios, "Today's events will not slow down Nvidia's development," and "Jensen will lead Nvidia as CEO without interruption."

On the 29th of last month, when this suspicion was first raised publicly, Spokesperson Rizzo explained that CEO Hwang and Alice Hwang had a normal working relationship, saying, "Meeting with customers is part of the CEO's job, and Jensen talks to thousands of customer executives every year."