Sources revealed to CNN that during the spring, US intelligence services monitored communications indicating the existence of a relationship between an official at Megaspeed, a company under investigation for possible involvement in transferring sensitive technology to China, and an American citizen.
The sources added that the identity of the American citizen remained “hidden” in intelligence reports. It is a procedure used to protect the privacy of US citizens whose communications may be monitored while surveilling foreign targets.
But after reviewing the initial intelligence information, American officials requested to reveal the identity of this person, and it turned out that he was Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, who no longer currently holds this position.
According to the sources, Marco Rubio - who holds the position of Secretary of State and National Security Advisor - prepared a memorandum summarizing this information, and distributed it to a very narrow circle of senior American officials, including officials in the White House.
Revealing the identity of a US citizen in intelligence reports is unusual, which reflects how concerned US officials are about this information.
A request to reveal the identity of a US citizen usually requires intervention from a high-ranking official and is subject to a vetting process before being approved. In this case, information becomes very restricted and is only available to a limited number of policy makers.
Multiple sources reported that Rubio wanted to alert officials to the nature of the relationship between Jensen Huang and Alice Huang, the CEO of Megaspeed, so that they would be aware of the matter when dealing with the CEO of Nvidia at the time.
The sources indicated that the memo was not prepared specifically for President Donald Trump, but he was briefed on this matter on several occasions.
CNN also previously reported that Rubio gave Trump an oral briefing on this information on Air Force One in May, during a trip to Alaska, where Jensen Huang joined the delegation accompanying the US President on his trip to China.
According to a person familiar with Trump's reaction, he seemed at least partly concerned about the allegations of an extramarital affair involving Huang, viewing it as an embarrassing personal matter for Nvidia's CEO at the time. He also expressed concern about the potential repercussions of the findings on the US economy, which was booming thanks to a boom in spending on artificial intelligence.
This week, after Jensen Huang resigned over allegations of another affair, Trump described the situation as a personal matter for Huang, with whom Trump has communicated several times in recent days.
Trump said that the former CEO - who is facing a difficult situation - is "going through hell" and that he is worried about his wife and children. He also indicated that the question of whether Alice Huang is working as a spy for China is still unresolved.
The White House referred inquiries related to Huang's case to Trump's public statements on the subject.
According to sources, Alice Huang had been an important intelligence target for the NSA for at least several months by the spring.
Sources reported that the Ministries of Justice and Trade began an investigation into her company in 2024, as part of a broader investigation targeting a network of foreign shell companies suspected of involvement in smuggling Nvidia chips - which are subject to restrictions - to China.
Sources told CNN that while intelligence information indicates a relationship between Jensen Huang and Alice Huang, the US intelligence community is still working to understand the nature of the relationship between Alice Huang and the Chinese government.
Multiple sources who reviewed Rubio's memo said that sharing this information with parties dealing with Jensen Huang on behalf of the US government was a wise move under the circumstances.
One of the sources explained that the fundamental problem is not only limited to the access of information to the Chinese side, but also related to the extent to which someone can be “exploited” to agree to deals - without conducting due diligence - that conflict with US national security goals, due to the presence of a personal relationship.
There is disagreement among US officials about the strength of the evidence that Alice Huang was recruited by China's Ministry of State Security - the CIA's equivalent - to spy on Jensen Huang and, through him, on US policymakers.
US Attorney Todd Blanche said on Thursday, “No conclusions have yet been reached - either by the Department of Justice, or by me personally, or by FBI Director Kash Patel - about her identity or the nature of her role.” Under China's national security law, Chinese citizens can be required to help gather intelligence for the Chinese Communist Party.
Some officials believe that Alice Huang posed a clear risk from a counterintelligence perspective; Due to her ability to reach Jensen Huang, and through him to Trump, even if she has not actually done so.
On the other hand, others believe that the excessive focus on Huang's relationship with the Chinese government has obscured broader questions about the US government's failure to address the transfer of advanced technology that is vital in the artificial intelligence race to China.
