US Lawmakers Demand Answers from Ousted Nvidia Chief Over China Spy Links

UPDATE - follow-up to Scandal-hit Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang quits, plunging AI chipmaking giant into turmoil: US lawmakers are now demanding that former Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang answer questions about whether one of his alleged relationships was with a Chinese spy. The demand follows his abrupt departure after revelations of two extramarital affairs, including one with Alice Huang, a Singaporean firm executive suspected by the New York Times of being a Chinese intelligence asset. China has rejected that spying allegation as a smear. US Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the Department of Justice has not yet drawn any conclusions on whether Alice Huang engaged in espionage for Beijing.

Congressional Scrutiny

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Coons, alongside Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, publicly asked Huang to brief Congress on the matter. A Senate staff member noted that he could face a subpoena if he refuses to appear voluntarily. Meanwhile, Nvidia has lost $550bn in stock market value in five days, and shares fell another 10% in premarket trading after the news of a second affair with long-time company executive Kimberly Powell became public.

Context

Jensen Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and led its transformation into an essential supplier of specialized computer chips powering the global artificial intelligence boom. Corporate leadership scandals involving personal misconduct frequently draw intense regulatory and congressional scrutiny when the affected firm holds a central role in national security and critical technology supply chains.