The revelations have now prompted Nvidia’s board of directors to launch an independent investigation
US secretary of state Marco Rubio had warned senior Trump administration officials about Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s alleged ties to a Chinese businesswoman suspected of working for Beijing’s intelligence agency, months before the company launched an independent investigation into the matter. Rubio oversaw the drafting of a highly classified memo circulated among senior administration officials during the spring, warning that Huang had developed a close relationship with Alice Huang, whom American intelligence agencies believed had been recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security, The New York Times reported.
The board said it had “no reason to believe” that either US national security or Nvidia’s trade secrets had been compromised. “I love our country and our company,” Huang said, adding that he was committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting America’s national security. The revelations have now prompted Nvidia’s board of directors to launch an independent investigation into reports that its chief executive was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. It added that Huang fully supported the review and had committed to cooperating with the investigation.
The company formally announced the inquiry on Sunday, saying a committee of independent directors, assisted by outside counsel, would examine all available information.
Trump said he had not spoken to Huang about the latest developments but described him as an “honourable guy” who had done an “amazing job” for the country. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, praised the Nvidia chief executive when asked about the allegations.