An investigation into NVIDIA after its CEO, Jensen Huang, was suspected of being targeted by a Chinese espionage operation

American chip maker Nvidia announced the opening of an investigation into reports that its CEO, Jensen Huang, was “the target of a foreign intelligence operation,” due to his relationship with an executive who is believed to be suspected by US intelligence services of working for China.

The company said that the investigation will be conducted by members of the Board of Directors in cooperation with independent investigators from outside the company, to review all available information related to the case.

The announcement came after Huang admitted to the board of directors, in an email to company employees, that he had an affair outside marriage. “To my colleagues at Nvidia, I owe my family and all of you an apology,” he wrote, adding: “I cheated on my wife, and my actions hurt her and our children. There is no justification for what I did. I am deeply sorry.” In his letter, Huang stressed that he took “full responsibility” for his actions, saying that leading NVIDIA was “the greatest honor” of his life, and that he had failed to fulfill the trust placed in him.

Media reports, including those published by the Financial Times and the New York Times, indicated that Huang had established a relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen who held executive positions in the Singaporean data center company Megaspeed. Reports stated that US intelligence services believed they were collecting information for Beijing.

Alice Huang previously worked in television media in China before moving to the business sector, while Megaspeed later became one of Nvidia's major clients in Southeast Asia, and has purchased electronic chips from the company worth billions of dollars over the past two years, according to reports.

In Nvidia's first response to the case, the company had confirmed that the communications that took place with a representative of one of the companies it deals with were "normal." However, the Board of Directors later announced the opening of an official investigation after the controversy over the issue expanded.

The council said in a statement: “While the council has no reason to believe that national security or Nvidia company secrets have been compromised, the council’s investigation will examine all available information.” He added that he still has confidence in Huang and his leadership team.

For his part, company spokesman John Rizzo confirmed that these developments “will not slow down NVIDIA,” stressing that Huang will continue to perform his duties as CEO of the company during the investigation period.

Huang did not mention Alice Huang's name in his letter to employees, nor did he address the allegations of her connection to the Chinese authorities, but he stressed his full support for the investigation and his willingness to cooperate with it, saying: "I love our country and our company, and I am committed to protecting NVIDIA and supporting American national security."