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Nvidia Investigates CEO Jensen Huang Over Affair With Suspected Chinese Spy

Nvidia's board met over Jensen Huang's future after a reported second relationship, as shares fell and federal probes widened. Latest updates and what we know.

By Clickzyo StaffNovember 9, 2026Updated November 12, 20264 min read

Nvidia headquarters in Santa Clara, California. Photo: Coolcaesar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

The man who runs the world's most valuable chip company has admitted an affair, and the woman involved is suspected by US intelligence of working for China. Nvidia's board has now opened an independent investigation.

What's new (Nov. 11-12, 2026)

A second relationship is reported. The New York Times reported on Wednesday, Nov. 11, citing five people who worked at Nvidia, that Huang also had a relationship with a senior Nvidia executive who reported to him, according to NBC News, Axios and CNBC. NBC News said it had not confirmed the Times report. Nvidia did not comment, the outlets said.
The board met over Huang's future. The Wall Street Journal first reported that the board was preparing to push Huang out. NBC News and CNBC said the board was meeting Wednesday evening to discuss his future. As of early Thursday, no decision had been announced.
Shares fell after hours. Nvidia stock dropped sharply in after-hours trading Wednesday, nearly 7% by 7 p.m. ET according to Axios and almost 9% according to NBC News. Before that, NBC News reported the shares had already fallen more than 10% since Monday.
A former prosecutor is leading the internal probe. On Nov. 10, the board's independent members said they had hired Joon H. Kim, a former acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, according to NBC News. CNBC and Axios also reported Wachtell's role.
Federal investigators are involved. President Trump said on Monday that the FBI was looking into the matter, NBC News and Newsweek reported. Separately, the Associated Press reported that the Justice Department's National Security Division is investigating whether Megaspeed broke export-control laws, citing a person familiar with the matter. Megaspeed has denied wrongdoing, and China has called the spy allegation "unsubstantiated."
A dispute inside the administration. Axios reported that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confronted Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at a White House meeting last week over why Megaspeed had not been added to the Commerce Department's entity list, a trade blacklist. Gizmodo noted the New York Times reported a similar account. The Commerce Department denied the exchange took place.
Pressure from Congress is growing. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Jim Banks issued a joint statement raising questions about Nvidia's chip exports to China, Newsweek reported, and Warren and Sen. Chris Coons asked federal agencies to preserve related records, according to NBC News.

Nothing in these reports has been proven in court, and Nvidia has not publicly responded to the newest one. We will update this page when the board announces a decision.

How the story started

On Sunday, November 8, 2026, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang sent an email to his staff apologizing for being unfaithful to his wife. "There is no excuse for what I did," he wrote. He said he takes full responsibility and will work to earn back the company's confidence.

Who is the woman?

She is Alice Huang, a former executive of Megaspeed, a Singapore-based company that buys Nvidia chips. The two are not related. According to reporting by The New York Times and the Financial Times, US intelligence agencies concluded she was passing information to Beijing. Megaspeed itself has been scrutinized over suspicions that it helped Chinese companies get advanced AI chips the US restricts.

Before Sunday, Nvidia had described Jensen Huang's contacts with her as ordinary business with a customer.

What is Nvidia doing?

The board said a committee of independent directors, helped by outside lawyers, will investigate whether Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort. It said it has "no reason to believe" national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised, but will examine all available information. Huang, 63, supports the review and stays on as CEO while it runs.

What did Trump say?

Asked on Sunday night about Huang, President Trump defended him, saying he had not heard that Huang did anything wrong, Axios reported.

Congress wants answers

Three House Republican committee chairs have asked Huang for a closed-door briefing this month about his contacts with Alice Huang and about how Nvidia guards against foreign spying.

Why it matters

Nvidia's chips power most of the world's AI. That is why Washington limits which chips can be sold to China, and why any sign that Chinese intelligence got close to Nvidia's boss is treated as a national security question. Investors are watching too. This story is developing, and details may change.

Big money stories hit households too. If holiday bills are on your mind, read how to pay for Christmas without going into credit card debt.

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