Nvidia has launched an independent investigation after its co-founder and CEO, Jensen Huang, admitted to an extramarital affair with a Chinese businesswoman suspected by US intelligence officials of being a spy for China’s Ministry of State Security.

The scandal erupted after a  report alleged that Huang had a close relationship with , also known as Huang Le, who is linked to Singapore-based data centre firm Megaspeed.

US intelligence agencies reportedly monitored Alice Huang, concluding she acted on behalf of Beijing, though it remains unclear what information, if any, was compromised. China has previously dismissed the allegations as groundless speculation.

In a personal memo to colleagues, Huang took full responsibility for his actions:

“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.”

Huang confirmed he fully supports and will co-operate with the board’s inquiry. An Nvidia spokesperson stated that Huang remains committed to leading the $4.5 trillion chip-maker without interruption.

Nvidia’s board of directors emphasised that while they have no reason to believe national security or company secrets were compromised, the inquiry will thoroughly examine all available information.

As a central supplier of advanced hardware powering global artificial intelligence models including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, Nvidia’s security protocols have drawn intense scrutiny.

Top Republican House committee leaders recently wrote to Huang, demanding he appear before Congress later in the month to address foreign espionage concerns.

For latest tech stories go to TechDigest.tv