Nvidia names law firm and lead attorney for Jensen Huang inquiry

Nvidia has appointed the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to lead an independent probe into the relationship between chief executive Jensen Huang and a woman alleged to be a Chinese spy.

The Investigation

Attorney Joon Kim, a former US Attorney and government lawyer, will head the review. Nvidia's board announced the probe on Sunday, stating that a committee of independent directors will oversee it. The company added that it has no reason to believe national security or corporate secrets were compromised. Meanwhile, the FBI is conducting its own separate probe, and US President Donald Trump stated he spoke with Jensen Huang, who told him he did not know the woman was a spy.

Market And Political Impact

Nvidia's stock value has dropped by $500bn since Friday, bringing its share price close to a yearly low. The woman involved is Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, an executive at a Singaporean customer firm named Megaspeed. Congressional leaders on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs have asked Jensen Huang to attend a closed-door briefing next week. Beijing has rejected the allegations, with its foreign ministry calling them an attempt to smear China.

Context

Jensen Huang co-founded Nvidia, which is the world's second most valuable company and a key player in the artificial intelligence sector. Because its specialized computer chips are vital for AI tools, they have become a major focus of national security interest for US officials.