While Jensen Huang has resigned as Nvidia CEO after 33 years with the company following explosive allegations of having an affair with an alleged Chinese spy, US intelligence now stands unsure whether the woman is actually linked to intelligence agencies in Beijing.
An investigation is underway to ascertain links between Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman who had an affair with Jensen Huang, and the Chinese government. However, multiple sources told CNN that the intelligence gathered so far does not establish that she worked as a spy for Beijing, CNN reported.
US intelligence divided on Chinese spy claims
US officials reportedly are divided over whether China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) recruited Alice Huang to gather intelligence on Jensen Huang and, indirectly, US policymakers.
The FBI has been investigating the alleged affair for at least a year. However, US Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Thursday that no conclusions had been reached about her identity or possible links to Chinese intelligence. President Donald Trump also remained non-committal when asked whether the US had determined that she was a spy.
“The big thing is, was the woman a spy? And I don’t know if that’s been determined yet,” Trump said. He added that Jensen Huang’s decision to step down as CEO would be justified if she was indeed a spy, but suggested the situation could be different otherwise.
Some officials at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), including those close to Director Jay Clayton, have reportedly questioned the description of Alice Huang as a Chinese spy, calling it exaggerated. CIA officials are also said to be unconvinced that the intelligence gathered so far, including intercepted communications, proves she knowingly passed information to Beijing, sources told CNN.
However, some officials in the Trump administration believe it is difficult to dismiss the possibility of her links to Chinese intelligence, given her position as a successful Chinese businesswoman working with one of America’s most powerful technology companies.
Under China’s national security laws, citizens can be compelled to assist intelligence-gathering efforts on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party. While there is no established evidence that Huang had done so, some US officials believe her access to Jensen Huang, and potentially President Trump, posed a significant counterintelligence risk.
Others, however, argue that the focus on her alleged links to the Chinese government has diverted attention from broader concerns over the US government’s failure to prevent restricted advanced technology from reaching China.
About Alice Huang
Alice Huang’s Singapore-based company, Megaspeed, is a major purchaser of Nvidia chips. The Justice Department and Commerce Department launched an investigation into the firm in 2024 as part of a wider probe into foreign shell companies suspected of diverting restricted Nvidia chips to China, a person familiar with the investigation told CNN.
The probe has also raised questions within the White House over why the Commerce Department did not add Megaspeed to the US government’s Entity List, which restricts trade with companies considered a threat to national security or foreign policy interests, while the investigation was underway.
Jensen Huang quits Nvidia amid scandal
Jensen Huang resigned as Nvidia CEO on Wednesday following days of reports about his alleged affair with Alice Huang, who is suspected of having links to Chinese intelligence. Reports also emerged on Wednesday night alleging that he had a separate affair with a subordinate at Nvidia.
Also Read:
Who is behind Jensen Huang’s iconic black leather jacket look? Nvidia co-founder’s old revelation resurfaces