The New York Times reported Friday that US intelligence officials briefed the Trump administration on a woman who had grown close to Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang. The woman, Alice Huang, works for an Asian technology firm named Megaspeed International. American surveillance revealed she was recruited by Beijing's Ministry of State Security to gather intelligence on the Nvidia chief.
The objective, according to the report, was to extract details on American AI chips and potentially pressure Nvidia to make its most advanced semiconductors available to Chinese buyers. Megaspeed operates within Nvidia's cloud partner network, purchasing equipment and renting computing power to AI developers. The Financial Times added that US officials believe the relationship between the two Huangs was romantic, though it remains unclear how they first met.
This revelation drops with fresh urgency following this week's US midterm elections, which handed Democrats control of Congress. Republicans are already digging into the matter. The House Select Committee on China sent a letter on Thursday requesting Jensen Huang's participation in a joint, closed-door briefing. The panel specifically cited concerns about his interactions with the alleged Chinese intelligence asset and Nvidia's internal security measures.
Nvidia pushed back in a statement after the New York Times article broke, asserting that its cloud partners do not ask for changes in US law or advocate for sales to China. The company emphasized that anyone trying to extract classified information through its customers would hit a dead end, as it neither holds nor shares classified data. In response to the Financial Times' claim of a romantic link, Nvidia reiterated Jensen Huang's previous stance that his dealings with Alice Huang were a typical business relationship.
In an interview last week, Jensen Huang defended the partnership, calling it "normal and not unusual." He stressed that Nvidia had checked to ensure Megaspeed did not illegally route Nvidia AI processors to China. The Central Intelligence Agency and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not respond to requests for comment on Friday evening. The next move lies with the House Select Committee, which will determine the timing and scope of the closed-door session with the Nvidia CEO.