United States President Donald Trump has confirmed that the FBI is looking into Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, after reports linked the head of the world’s most valuable chipmaker to a businesswoman US intelligence believes worked for China.
Trump told reporters at the White House that he had spoken to Huang about the reports, and that the executive said he had no knowledge of the woman’s alleged intelligence ties. “I know the FBI is looking into it,” Trump said. “I think that he’ll be in good shape.”
FAKTA
- What happened: On 9 November, President Trump confirmed the FBI is examining Huang’s reported links to a woman suspected of being a Chinese intelligence asset.
- Who is involved: Jensen Huang, 63, co-founder and chief executive of Nvidia; Alice Huang, a former executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based Nvidia customer.
- Board action: Nvidia’s board opened an independent investigation on 8 November into whether Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation.
- Market impact: Nvidia shares fell more than 4 percent on Monday, wiping about $200 billion from the company’s value.
- Legal fallout: Shareholders have filed a proposed class-action lawsuit, and senior US lawmakers have asked Huang to appear before Congress.
- China’s response: Beijing has rejected the claims as groundless.
Board opens inquiry as shares slide
Nvidia’s board announced on Sunday that it had started a formal inquiry into Huang and the extent to which he could have been compromised. The board said it had no reason to believe national security or company secrets had been compromised, but that its inquiry would examine all available information.
Huang remains chief executive, and the board has expressed confidence in him. Nvidia shares dropped sharply on Monday, and the company is expected to report quarterly earnings on 17 November.
The woman at the centre of the claims
US intelligence agencies believe Alice Huang, a former director at the Singapore-based technology company Megaspeed, was recruited by a Chinese spy agency. The New York Times first reported in October that Huang had a relationship with her and that she was passing information to the Chinese government.
Megaspeed has itself been investigated by US authorities over claims that it helped move advanced Nvidia chips to Chinese customers. No evidence has been made public that Huang knowingly took part in any intelligence activity, and the FBI has not publicly described the scope of its inquiry.
Political and legal pressure grows
Shareholders filed a proposed class-action lawsuit on Monday accusing Huang and Nvidia of misleading investors, while three House committee chairmen have asked Huang to meet them behind closed doors next week to discuss the company’s security protocols.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has called for answers and backed restrictions on advanced chip sales to China. Trump said he did not expect to raise the matter when he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, although Xi might ask him about it. The FBI has not commented publicly on the inquiry. More international news is available on Watan News.
