Did Chinese spy infiltrate Nvidia? From whiskey to billion-dollar deals

New Delhi: Alice Huang, a Chinese business executive suspected by US intelligence agencies of working for Beijing, reportedly became close to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, raising concerns that one of America's most influential technology executives may have been targeted by a Chinese espionage campaign.

The allegations, which are believed to have been hired by Chinese intelligence agencies to gather information on the billionaire and possibly influence his decisions related to the global artificial intelligence (AI) industry, have brought the 63-year-old Nvidia chief under renewed scrutiny.

According to reports, US intelligence agencies were aware of this suspicious operation long before it became public. According to a report in the Financial Times, US officials prepared a confidential memo detailing the alleged romantic relationship. This information adds a new dimension to earlier revelations by the New York Times, which first reported that Huang had a close relationship with the Chinese businesswoman.

What do we know?

Alice Huang, also known as "Huang Le," is a Chinese citizen and reportedly has numerous contacts in the global AI chip industry. According to the Daily Mail, the two reportedly had a romantic relationship. US intelligence officials suspect this relationship may be part of a Chinese espionage operation.

According to the Financial Times report, US agencies had prepared a confidential assessment of his alleged close ties, which was shared among a small group of senior government officials.

Their relationship reportedly dates back to at least June 2024. At that time, they were spotted and photographed together at a bar in Taipei after a technology trade show. Photos shared on LinkedIn by technology company NetThunder show Huang, wearing his trademark black leather jacket, sitting next to Alice Huang at an evening gathering with other industry executives. The two were reportedly drinking whiskey.

In May 2025, the Nvidia chief hosted a dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Taipei during Computex, a major technology exhibition, where they were seen together again. Photos and livestream footage showed Alice Huang sitting very close to him. He kissed her on the cheek and placed his hand on her back. When Huang stepped out to speak to reporters, she was also seen following him. Later, the two left the restaurant in the same car.

Who is Alice Huang and what connection does Megaspeed have to China?
Before entering the technology sector, Alice Huang reportedly worked as a television journalist in China. According to her online profile on a Chinese fund database (which could not be independently verified), she previously worked at HSBC and Chinese broadcasters CCTV and Hunan TV.

She later became a senior executive at Megaspeed International, a Singapore-based company that rents computing power to businesses to train and run AI systems. According to the company's website, it is a key business partner of Nvidia's computing power cloud business in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the New York Times, Megaspeed has been under US government investigation since 2024. It is suspected that the company was helping to ship banned Nvidia processors to China. It is reported that in 2025, Singapore authorities questioned Alice Huang as part of the investigation into the company.

According to the Daily Mail, Megaspeed was spun off from a Chinese gaming company and later expanded into AI data centers. The New York Times also reported that the company purchased more than $4.8 billion worth of Nvidia chips in two years.

Washington has banned the export of its most advanced AI processors to China, citing concerns that the technology could strengthen Beijing's military and technological capabilities. In December 2025, Megaspeed denied allegations of illegally shipping chips and called Bloomberg's report on the matter misleading. Nvidia also previously stated that its investigation found no evidence of any wrongdoing.

What Jensen Huang said

In his statement, the Nvidia chief apologized to his family for the infidelity and said he supports the independent investigation launched by the Nvidia board.

What Jensen Huang wrote:

To my colleagues at Nvidia, I want to apologize to my family and to all of you.

I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I deeply regret it. Throughout my life, my family has loved and supported me. They deserve my honesty and loyalty. Instead, I disappointed them and damaged the life we ​​built together. I take full responsibility for what I did and the hurt I caused others, and I accept the criticism that follows.

I love my wife and family very much. I know that no amount of apology can change what I've done. I hope our family can heal from this grief and, with time, I can regain your trust.

To my colleagues at NVIDIA – including those I've worked with for decades – and to our board, partners, and shareholders around the world: You deserve better from me. Leading NVIDIA has been the privilege of my life. I have a responsibility to serve you and be worthy of your trust. I have failed in that responsibility. I remain fully committed to NVIDIA and will work to earn your trust again.

NVIDIA's Board of Directors has launched an independent investigation into national security concerns raised in news reports. I support this investigation and will fully cooperate. I love my country and my company. I am committed to protecting NVIDIA and supporting US national security. I am proud and grateful to be an American. My family is not responsible for my decisions; only I am responsible. Please give them privacy.