The New York Times reported today that Huida CEO Huang Jenxun and Huang Le, who was named in the extramarital affair scandal, have known each other since at least the end of 2023. Megaspeed purchased a large amount of AI chips, causing many countries, including Taiwan, to pay attention and take action. The report quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that Huang Le came to Taiwan several times with a Hong Kong passport. Taiwan began to monitor his visit to Taiwan in 2024 at the suggestion of the US government.
The New York Times reported based on photos circulated on social networks that NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and company employees dined at an Italian restaurant in Singapore in December 2023 with Huang Le (also known as Alice Huang), who was considered a suspected Chinese female spy by the U.S. intelligence community. The two took photos together.
At that time, the U.S. government had banned Chinese companies from purchasing advanced U.S. chips. With the support of Shanghai investors, Chinese national Huang Le obtained control of a Singaporean company through an overseas company and changed its name to Megaspeed, preparing to purchase billions of dollars in artificial intelligence chips from Huida. Four days after Megaspeed changed ownership, it became a cloud partner of Huida and obtained highly sought-after AI components.
The meeting between the two people in Singapore showed that the relationship between the two parties took longer than the outside world knew. In the past, when the United States and China cooperated, the scientific and technological circles interacted closely. Even if geopolitics changes, the two sides continue to interact.
Details such as when the relationship between Huang Jen-Hsun and Huang Le began, and when Huang Le was absorbed by China’s national security agencies, have yet to be clarified, but Huang Le and Megaspeed are involved in China’s search for artificial intelligence chips in Southeast Asia and the provision of technology to Chinese industries.
The New York Times verified that the photos Huang Le uploaded on social media in the past three years were authentic. The two met in Shanghai, Huida's Silicon Valley headquarters, San Jose golf courses and Taiwan.
Through channels in the Shanghai financial circle, Huang Le entered the technology industry after meeting Huang Renxun in Singapore, and continued to cooperate with her work partner Kang Wei (transliteration, Kang Wei), whom she often called her husband at the time. Kang Wei, 51, was introduced as Huang Le's husband, but the New York Times could not confirm whether the two were married.
The report pointed out that Kangwei had emerged in the investment community in 2000 and invested in private equity funds in 2010 to invest in online gaming companies. Huang Le's resume shows that he once worked as a TV reporter and later worked at HSBC Private Banking and CITIC Securities.
The development of the incident attracted the attention of authorities in various countries. The U.S. Department of Commerce sent officials to inspect Huang Le's company in 2024. The New York Times quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that Taiwan began to monitor Huang Le's visit to Taiwan in 2024 at the suggestion of the U.S. government. She entered Taiwan on a Hong Kong passport and has visited Taiwan several times.
Huang Renxun and Huang Le met in a bar in Taipei in June 2024 and took photos publicly, which attracted attention. Parker Schmitt, CEO of the American software company NetThunder, who was present at the time, recalled that Huang Le made a bet to call Jen-Hsun Huang over, and then Jen-Hsun Huang showed up and drank whiskey together. A person close to Huida pointed out that Huang Renxun and two company executives had originally planned to attend the party.
Schmidt said that Huang Le posted many photos with Huang Renxun on social media, including drinking at golf courses and restaurants, hoping that the outside world would think of her as an excellent marketing executive. Being in the same frame as Huang Renxun is a matter of pride in the technology industry.
People familiar with the matter pointed out through reports that at that time, at the suggestion of the U.S. government, Taiwan began to monitor Huang Le’s schedule in Taiwan. She entered the country with a Hong Kong passport. In addition to public appearances with Huang Renxun, she also traveled to Taiwan several times.
Huang Le, Huida, Megaspeed and Kangwei did not respond to the New York Times report.
