Listen to this articleDear 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated using AI-based technology. Pronunciation errors may occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve results. US President Donald Trump said Monday that the FBI is investigating Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s affair with an alleged Chinese government agent, but said he does not believe the executive who has helped develop artificial intelligence has reason to worry. “I know the FBI is investigating this in terms of something else, and I think it will be in good shape,” Trump said at a White House briefing. The sudden emergence of Huang’s infidelity has shaken the political class and the US technology sector, creating new concerns about whether China has been able to access cutting-edge Nvidia-designed chips that are driving the development of artificial intelligence. Trump suggested the extraordinary step of becoming directly involved in a counterintelligence investigation, a sign of his friendly relationship with Huang and the potential geopolitical risks. “I talked to him today just to see if he’s feeling okay and how you’re doing,” Trump said. “He said he had no idea the person in question was a spy.” Huang, a singular figure in the technology landscape and one of the richest people in the world, acknowledged that he had an affair and apologized to his wife and the company in an open letter posted on Nvidia’s website. The New York Times reported that US intelligence determined that the woman was gathering information for Beijing. “I support the investigation and will cooperate fully. I love our country and our company. I am committed to protecting NVIDIA and supporting the national security of the United States,” Huang said in his letter. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks at an event in London on October 14. (Kwiyeon Ha/The Associated Press) Nvidia announced Sunday that it was conducting an independent investigation into reports that Huang was the “target of a foreign intelligence effort.” The episode is also drawing congressional scrutiny, with Democratic Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries saying Monday they are interested in investigating it further. Jeffries said the Nvidia issue came up during a closed-door session with the CIA director and the director of national intelligence that dealt primarily with Iran. “We’re going to need a full briefing, specifically as it relates to the Nvidia issue, so that we can all get to the bottom of what has happened,” he said, “and what the implications are in terms of U.S. national security.” Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, but did not commit to addressing the situation with Xi.WATCH | Nvidia CEO under scrutiny: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s shooting star | About itU.S. Shares of tech giant Nvidia plunged after CEO Jensen Huang admitted to having an affair with a woman accused of spying for Beijing. Andrew Chang looks at what we know so far and what the scandal means for the world’s most valuable AI chip maker. Images provided by The Canadian Press, Reuters, Adobe Stock and Getty Images”No, I don’t think so,” Trump said. “I mean, maybe. I’m sure President XI will ask me about it. I know Jensen very well. I just think he’s a very honorable man.” FBI counterintelligence investigations often examine efforts by foreign powers to spy on the United States, whether by surreptitiously stealing technology designed by American companies, covertly carrying out foreign influence campaigns aimed at shaping public opinion, or cultivating relationships with powerful political and industry figures. These investigations can last years and do not necessarily result in criminal charges. China has been viewed during presidential administrations of both political parties as a persistent counterintelligence threat. China denied on Monday that it was involved in an attempt to trap Huang. “The so-called accusation of Chinese espionage is baseless. They are nothing more than smears against China,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun. Previously, Beijing had dismissed a New York Times report that said Huang had developed a close relationship with a Chinese national named Alice Huang, who ran a company that last year faced accusations that it was illicitly shipping advanced Nvidia computer chips to China. The Times said she was a former executive at a Singapore-based data center company called Megaspeed International, whose website prominently promotes its partnership with Nvidia, and that U.S. intelligence had determined she was gathering information for Beijing. Many offices in Singapore were closed on Monday for a holiday. Megaspeed and Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Nvidia is one of the most valuable publicly traded companies in the world, along with Apple and Microsoft. Its sales of computer chips to China have at times been targeted by U.S. regulators seeking to limit Beijing’s access to such technology. The Nvidia logo is displayed at the Computex Taipei exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan, on June 3. (Chiang Ying-ying/The Associated Press) “The key questions are whether he was aware of any espionage activity and whether any confidential or strategically sensitive information was compromised,” said George Chen, partner and chair of digital practice at The Asia Group, a Washington-based consulting firm. “These questions require evidence rather than speculation,” he added in a text message to reporters. Chinese media has largely focused on Huang’s admission of the affair and state media has mainly echoed the government’s official line. Some have said that the New York Times report was aimed at destabilizing relations between the United States and China. “Whenever relations between China and the United States begin to improve, there are often those who shoot from the shadows,” said the state-owned Global Times. SEE | Nvidia investigates its own CEO:Nvidia opens an investigation into the CEO’s relationship with an alleged Chinese spyNvidia is opening an investigation into its CEO, Jensen Huang, after he admitted to having an affair. The woman in question is accused of being a Chinese spy and allegedly passing information to Beijing, according to a media report. New York Times journalist Julian E. Barnes, who broke the news of Huang’s relationship, says “there’s a long way to go on this story.”
