**Nvidia Board Opens Independent Probe Into CEO Jensen Huang After Affair Admission Linked to Alleged Chinese Spy**

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Nvidia's board of directors opened an independent investigation on Nov. 8 into whether Chief Executive Jensen Huang had been the target of a foreign intelligence effort, hours after the company's founder admitted in a message to employees that he had been unfaithful to his wife.

The board said a committee of independent directors, assisted by outside counsel, would oversee the inquiry. "While the Board has no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised, the Board's inquiry will examine all available information," the company said in a statement. The board added that it has confidence in Huang and his leadership team and that Huang fully supports the review and has committed to cooperating.

Huang, 63, told employees in an internal memo that he had been unfaithful. "I owe my family and all of you an apology," he wrote. "I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry." He said he supports the investigation and will cooperate fully. In additional remarks, he stated, "I love our country and our company. I am committed to protecting NVIDIA and supporting America's national security."

The company said Huang will remain CEO without interruption during the review.

The investigation follows reporting by The New York Times that U.S. intelligence officials concluded Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen and executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed, had been recruited to gather information for the Chinese government. The two Huangs are not related. Megaspeed has been a significant customer of Nvidia, purchasing more than $4.8 billion in chips over two years, according to the Times. U.S. authorities have examined whether the company helped facilitate access to advanced artificial-intelligence processors for entities in China, potentially circumventing export restrictions.

Nvidia has previously described interactions between the two as not unusual in the context of customer relationships. The company has said it does not share classified information with customers. Megaspeed has said its current leadership takes the allegations seriously and is committed to establishing the facts.

U.S. export controls have long limited the sale of Nvidia's most advanced chips to China. The company dominates the market for the graphics processors that power large-scale artificial-intelligence training and inference. Its market capitalization has at times exceeded $4 trillion, making Huang one of the most prominent figures in the global technology industry and a frequent participant in discussions between the Trump administration and Chinese officials.

Nvidia shares fell roughly 5 percent on Nov. 9, the first full trading day after the board's announcement, erasing hundreds of billions of dollars in market value. Analysts noted that the probe raises questions about leadership continuity at a company whose identity has been closely tied to its longtime chief executive, though several observed that Huang has led Nvidia since its founding in 1993.

House Republicans requested a closed-door briefing with Huang for Nov. 18. The request came from the chairs of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and the House Intelligence Committee. They cited national-security concerns related to the reported relationship and........

© International Business Times