Jensen Huang told Nvidia's staff on Sunday 8 November that he had been unfaithful to his wife, in an email apologising to his family, colleagues, board and shareholders. 'I have fallen short of that responsibility', the chief executive wrote of his duty to the company, adding that he is committed to Nvidia and will work to earn back its confidence.
The same day, the board opened an independent investigation. It cites reports that Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort, not the admission itself, and a committee of independent directors will oversee it with outside counsel.
The board says it has 'no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised'. Its inquiry will examine all available information, and Huang has committed to cooperating while he stays in the job.
The Espionage Claim Rests on Unnamed US Officials
The reports behind the inquiry began with The New York Times, which said in late October that US intelligence officials believe a woman linked to Megaspeed, a Singapore data centre company, was acting on behalf of Beijing. The paper cited unnamed sources, the BBC says, and said she had a close relationship with Huang. She had not responded to the paper's requests for comment, according to that account.
Huang's email does not name his partner or mention the claim. It refers only to national security concerns raised in news reports. China's Foreign Ministry calls the allegations groundless and an attempt to smear China.
Nvidia told the BBC it was not aware of US intelligence concerns about Megaspeed. It said it trusts that Washington would have notified it of a genuine threat.
Congress Wants a Briefing on Security Protocols Within Days
Nvidia designs some of the most advanced AI chips in the world, and since 2022 the US has used export controls to keep its top technology out of China. That history has drawn lawmakers into the story.
Three House Republican committee chairs have asked Huang to brief them in a closed-door meeting on 18 November about Nvidia's security protocols against foreign adversary espionage. They want him to accept or propose another date by 11 November.
Megaspeed is a customer that US authorities previously investigated over allegations it helped Chinese firms bypass trade restrictions. Nvidia says those allegations were probed and debunked. Megaspeed has commissioned an outside-counsel review of the latest claims.
Nvidia's Decisions Run Through One Executive
Inside Nvidia, the question is how much rests on one person. Roughly 60 senior executives report directly to Huang, who co-founded the company in 1993. Bloomberg reported on 9 November, as relayed by Chosun Biz, that Nvidia has not publicly named a successor or disclosed a formal succession plan.
Stacy Rasgon, a senior analyst at Bernstein, says 'He is basically Nvidia', and that Huang effectively runs most of the company himself. He says the episode underscores key man risk, meaning the danger that losing one executive could significantly affect a company's decisions and operations.
Huang remains chief executive while the inquiry runs, and the board says it has confidence in him and his leadership team. The first public checkpoints sit on the House calendar, with a reply due on 11 November and a briefing requested for 18 November. The board has not announced a timetable for its own findings.
