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By Brendan Cole
Senior Reporter
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The woman who had an affair with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is an executive at a Singapore-based company whose purchases of chips from the artificial intelligence giant raised concerns among U.S. officials, it has been reported.
The New York Times reported that Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen, was recruited by Beijing to collect intelligence on the 63-year-old head of one of the world's most valuable companies.
Jensen Huang has admitted the affair and the firm he founded has opened an investigation into the claims which have added turbulence to the sector in which the U.S. and China are racing to develop advanced AI systems.
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''Just when some calm looked set to be restored to markets, the Jensen Huang spy bombshell has hit, threatening to charge the tech sector with fresh volatility," Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist, Wealth Club told Newsweek Monday.
As previously reported by Newsweek, Nvidia said in a statement, "Jensen is committed to continuing to lead NVIDIA as CEO without interruption."
Newsweek has contacted Nvidia for further comment.
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Who Is Alice Huang?
Despite having the same surname, Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, is no relation to the 63-year-old Taiwanese-born head of Nvidia.
The New York Times reported that she speaks good English and is well connected at the highest level of the global AI chip industry.
She had previously worked at HSBC bank, as well as as a reporter for Chinese media outlets CCTV and Hunan TV, according to an online search whose details were reported by media but which Newsweek has not been able to independently confirm.
The Chinese media outlet Ruibao reported a historical membership list from the Asset Management Association of China's which includes "Huang Le," the executive director of Shanghai Hexi Investment Management Co., Ltd.
However, Ruibao said that the list does not include an English name or Singaporean experience, nor does it provide any identity information corresponding to Alice Huang.
Megaspeed's predecessor was 7Road International, which was registered in Singapore on September 28, 2015, according to open data from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority of Singapore.
The company changed its name to Megaspeed in March 2023, with Huang Le becoming managing director, according to The Straits Times.
The couple's relationship was of concern to U.S. officials already alarmed by the large volume of Megaspeed’s purchases which total over $4.8 billion worth of chips since June 2024, according to the New York Times.
The paper reported last year that the U.S. Commerce Department was investigating whether Megaspeed was helping China smuggle restricted A.I. chips.
CNN reported how a clip showed her at a group dinner with technology executives in Taipei in which she can be seen giving the Nvidia chief "a peck on the cheek" and getting into the same car.
Huang has been married since 1985 to Lori Mills whom he had met at Oregon State University while studying electrical engineering.
In 2007, the couple founded the Jen-Hsun and Lori Huang Foundation and they have two children, Madison and Spencer.
Huang said in a statement shared with Nvidia staff he had been "unfaithful" to his wife, adding "there is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry."
"Regarding the national security concerns raised in news reports, Nvidia's Board of Directors has initiated an independent investigation. I support the investigation and will cooperate fully," the statement added.
What Are Donald Trump's Links to Jensen Huang?
Jensen Huang founded Nvidia in 1993 and the firm was originally known for chips that process graphics before changing its focus to AI.
The firm is critical to making the hardware for emerging AI technologies and is now worth $4.5 trillion.
The intelligence findings into Jensen Huang's extramarital affair raised concerns about whether it gives her insight into Trump's thinking on AI given the U.S. president's close relationship with the Nvidia boss.
Trump has presented Jensen Huang with the National Medal of Science. He sat at the head table during the White House state dinner hosting Chinese leader Xi Jinping and also joined Trump's delegation during its trip to Beijing this year.
The NYT reported that Trump has been briefed on the intelligence findings linking the couple last year but he "took no action."
When asked about the reports on Sunday, Trump said Huang is "an honorable guy" and did not think he should step down.
How Might Tech Markets Respond?
Streeter from the Wealth Club told Newsweek that all eyes will be on the share price later amid worries about whether any sensitive company information or national security secrets could have been compromised.
She said the revelations also raise questions about the political handling of the affair, after reports that Trump had been briefed about the intelligence concerns around a year ago but took no action.
"That also raises a broader concern about what other scandals or vulnerabilities could be lurking beneath the surface in the increasingly interconnected world of Big Tech."
"Huang's reputation has undoubtedly been tarnished, but right now the furor does not look as though it'll pull him from his throne, given how intertwined Nvidia's valuation is with his superstar tech status and his position as the architect of its dominance in the semiconductor market," said Streeter.
"That expectation may reassure investors, that while headline dominating, the affair won't be a big bump in the road for the company.
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Robert Greenall and Tobias Meyjes
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