President Donald Trump says he personally asked Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang whether he knew his partner was an alleged Chinese spy, and came away convinced of his innocence. This comes amid a huge value loss for the company behind one of the biggest specialized computer chips, software powering the global artificial intelligence and modern gaming revolutions.
Jensen Huang’s response to Trump’s question about Alice Huang
Speaking to reporters, Trump recounted a phone call with Huang on Monday, held after it was reported that US intelligence believed the Nvidia boss had been targeted in a Chinese espionage campaign. “I asked him that question, ‘Did you have any idea she was a spy?’ He said, ‘I had no idea she was a spy’ and I really believe him,” Trump said.
Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le and not related to Jensen Huang, was managing director of Singaporean company Megaspeed, which has had dealings with Nvidia. US intelligence officials reportedly believe she was a spy for Beijing, according to a New York Times report. Trump said the FBI is investigating the affair but did not elaborate on the probe or when it was launched. The FBI has yet to comment (via BBC).
Nvidia, the world’s second most valuable company, has commissioned an independent investigation and said it had no reason to believe its secrets or national security were compromised.
The revelations knocked around $250 billion off its value on Monday as shares fell over 4%. Lastly, Beijing rejected the claims, with its foreign ministry calling the allegations “entirely groundless, speculative and intended to smear and malign China.”
Jensen Huang has admitted he was “unfaithful” to his wife and apologised for causing pain to her and their children, while saying he is “committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting America’s national security.” He has also been asked to appear for a closed-door congressional briefing next week.
