President Donald Trump backed Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Nov. 8 after the company’s board launched a probe over his affair with a suspected Chinese spy.
Nvidia said on Nov. 8 that it was investigating whether Huang had been a target of a foreign intelligence effort. Huang has admitted to an affair with a Chinese businesswoman accused of collecting information for the Chinese Ministry of State Security.
The alleged spy, known as Alice Huang, was an executive at the Singapore-based Megaspeed, one of Nvidia’s biggest customers in Southeast Asia.
Nvidia’s shares dropped by 4 percent in premarket trading on the Nasdaq on Nov. 9 following the probe.
When asked about the investigation on Nov. 8, Trump said he had not spoken with Jensen Huang about it but hoped that everything was fine.
“I just know he’s a fine person, but you never know what is going on. I hope everything’s fine,” he told reporters. “He’s a fine person, in my opinion.
“I think he’s an honorable guy. I think he probably has an excuse for it. … He’s done an amazing job for our country.”
Trump also suggested that Jensen Huang could join him on his China trip next week.
“I don’t know, but I’d certainly take him. I haven’t heard that he’s done anything wrong. He dealt with somebody but, you know, so does everybody else,” the president said.
Trump is expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, scheduled for Nov. 18 and Nov. 19.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Nov. 8 that he could not comment on the Jensen Huang investigation because it was “an internal corporate matter.”
The Nvidia board of directors said on Nov. 8 that it remained confident in Jensen Huang’s leadership and did not believe that national security or company secrets had been compromised.
The investigation would be conducted by a committee of independent directors and outside counsel, according to its statement.
In a message addressed to employees, the Nvidia CEO apologized for his infidelity. He pledged to take full responsibility for his actions and give full cooperation in the probe.
“My responsibility is to serve you and be worthy of your trust. I have fallen short of that responsibility. I am fully committed to Nvidia and will work to earn back your confidence,” he said.
Jensen Huang said he was committed to protecting the company and supporting U.S. national security.
Commenting on the probe, Pershing Square Capital Management CEO Bill Ackman said in a post on X that the Nvidia CEO is “an incredible human” who also makes mistakes.
“I am not suggesting he gets a free pass. If indeed this is more than an affair, then it is an obviously a real problem,” Ackman said.
“He has done a lot of good for the world and I hope the damage here is minimal. That is, I am hoping for a simple affair, not a risk to our national security.”
Reps. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), and Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) have asked Jensen Huang to appear before their committees for “a joint, closed-door briefing” on Nov. 18 about his interactions with the alleged Chinese spy and Nvidia’s security protocols against foreign espionage.
The lawmakers said in a Nov. 5 letter that it is vital for Congress to assess “the extent to which U.S. national security has been placed at risk” by the situation at Nvidia.
“The issue of PRC infiltration and access to cutting-edge U.S. technology is core to the investigative work of our three committees this Congress,” the lawmakers said, using the acronym for China’s official name, the People’s Republic of China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Nov. 9 dismissed the Chinese spy claim as groundless speculation intended to smear and discredit China.
U.S. authorities have restricted exports of Nvidia’s artificial intelligence chips as Washington seeks to prevent the sale of the most advanced chips to China.
Jacki Thrapp contributed to this report.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated what the Republican lawmakers requested from Jensen Huang. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
