Bessent singles out Lutnick for AI leak to China

Bessent told CNBC on Friday that his department, among others in government, has long advocated for restrictions on the Singapore-based company Megaspeed — at the center of the spying and sex scandal surrounding Jensen Huang.

In the question of why no restrictions have been introduced, Bessent replies that it is the Department of Trade, under Trade Minister Lutnick, who is responsible.

- So you can ask them about their internal processes.

Jensen Huang was fired on Thursday, among other things, because of an affair with businesswoman Alice Huang, to whom he is not related despite his last name.

Alice Huang, in turn, has had strong connections to Megaspeed, which, among other things, is said to have imported large amounts of technology from Nvidia.

According to several media reports, there are suspicions that Alice Huang is a spy on behalf of the Chinese government.

Howard Lutnick, according to the news site Axios, has "repeatedly sat in the crosshairs" against measures aimed at companies that are suspected of passing on Nvidia's advanced AI chip to China.

According to Scott Bessent, the transfer of advanced technology to China is hurting "our great companies in the AI ​​race."

He now says that, among others, the US Treasury, Defense and State Departments "for months have been advocating putting Megaspeed on the sanctions list".

When asked how he feels about the delays in export controls, he replies:

- I feel frustrated, especially since President Trump has made it very clear that China will not be allowed to share any Nvidia chips that are more advanced than the H100 model.