Suspected Chinese Spy Allegedly Used Affair With NVIDIA's Jensen Huang To Route $7.5B in Restricted AI Chips East

NVIDIA chief executive Jensen Huang this week admitted to an affair with a woman US intelligence agencies suspect is a Chinese spy, as The Information linked their reported relationship to $7.5 billion (£5.7 billion) worth of restricted artificial intelligence chips reaching China.

Huang, long cast as the face of America's dominance in the AI race, told staff on 8 November that he had been unfaithful to his wife, saying there was no excuse for his actions.

The woman at the centre of the storm, former Megaspeed executive Alice Huang, who is unrelated, was reportedly identified by US intelligence officials as an asset of China's Ministry of State Security.

The Chips That Were Never Meant To Reach Beijing

The Information reported that the relationship, which dates back to 2023, helped Chinese companies acquire the restricted chips. When the US restricted exports of powerful processors, Alice Huang allegedly helped secure roughly 240,000 H100, H200, and A100 units through distributors, according to the outlet, a claim Reuters said it could not independently verify.

Megaspeed, the Singapore-based firm where she was a director, had reportedly bought about $4.8 billion (£3.7 billion) in NVIDIA chips over two years, according to the same investigation.

Those export controls exist to stop the world's most advanced AI hardware from strengthening a strategic rival. If the rules were bent through a chief executive's private relationship, the technology race ordinary Americans keep hearing about was shaped in a bedroom rather than a boardroom.

Reports Say Washington Was Warned

The most damaging thread is not the affair but what officials reportedly knew. The New York Times reported that President Donald Trump was briefed on the intelligence roughly a year ago and chose not to act.

A classified memo reportedly circulated in spring 2026 warning that the businesswoman was a spy, before Trump's May trip to China, which Huang joined.

According to Trump, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is now examining the matter. He said Huang told him he did not know the woman was a spy, adding that he believed him.

Congress Wants Huang Under Oath

Three House Republican chairmen, Brian Mast, John Moolenaar, and Rick Crawford, have asked Huang to sit for a closed-door briefing on 18 November, warning that China's access to sensitive US technology sits at the core of their work. Mast has signalled he is ready to issue a subpoena if Huang refuses to cooperate voluntarily. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of shielding Huang at the expense of national security.

NVIDIA and Beijing Reject the Claims

NVIDIA's board said it had no reason to believe that national security or company secrets were compromised, expressed confidence in Huang, and opened an independent investigation. Megaspeed denies any wrongdoing and says inspections found no violations. China's Foreign Ministry dismissed the spy allegation as unsubstantiated.

Investors did not wait for the inquiry. NVIDIA shares fell around 4%, and Forbes calculated that Huang's net worth dropped $7.4 billion (£5.6 billion) in the first half hour of trading on Monday. The man feted as the West's shield against China now faces questions about whether his relationship helped restricted chips reach China.