Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was introduced to alleged spy Alice Huang by her husband Kang Wei, report says

New Delhi: Chinese investor Kang Wei reportedly introduced Alice Huang, described in media reports as his wife, to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang after years of business dealings with the executive. The disclosure adds to scrutiny of Alice’s business network and allegations concerning shipments of restricted Nvidia chips to Chinese customers.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the couple, that Kang made the introduction after knowing Jensen for about a decade. The Information separately said Kang invested in Chinese videogame companies in the 2010s, when gaming was a major market for Nvidia processors.

According to The Information, Alice displayed photographs with Jensen on WeChat and told contacts he celebrated her birthdays with dinners or gifts. Kang also reportedly mentioned her closeness to the Nvidia chief during investor meetings, although this does not establish that Jensen arranged chip transactions.

According to an investigation by Caixin, Alice joined Shanghai-based Hexi investment in November 2015, becoming a senior executive and business partner of Kang Wei. Caixin also reported that Shanghai police detained Kang earlier this year over suspected stock manipulation. The Wall Street Journal subsequently reported that he had been released, although the investigation’s current legal status remains unclear.

Chip sales and export controls

The Information linked Alice and relatives to Singapore-based Megaspeed, Chinese computing company Shanghai Century Litong and Megaspeed’s Malaysian subsidiary Speedmatrix. Citing people familiar with the network, it alleged that businesses connected to Alice facilitated at least $7.5 billion in Nvidia chip sales involving Chinese companies since 2023 and moved approximately 240,000 export-restricted chips into China.

Those figures are not independently established, and the reported connection does not demonstrate that Jensen knowingly facilitated wrongdoing. US restrictions on certain advanced AI processors seek to limit China’s access to powerful computing technology.

Shanghai Century Litong denied doing business with Alice and said it secured Nvidia’s preferred cloud-partner status through lawful channels. Nvidia said it required distributors and partners to comply with US export controls.

Intelligence allegations and Nvidia’s response

The New York Times reported that US intelligence officials suspected Alice of gathering information for Beijing, an allegation China rejected as unsubstantiated. As RNA Media reported earlier, Alice’s business background and links to Singapore-based Megaspeed had also come under scrutiny. However, no public finding has established that she committed espionage or that Jensen knowingly shared sensitive information.

Jensen acknowledged infidelity and apologized to his family and Nvidia employees. Nvidia’s board subsequently appointed New York law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to conduct an independent investigation, as RNA Media reported earlier. The company maintained that it had no reason to believe its confidential information or US national security had been compromised.

Singaporean authorities are investigating Megaspeed over suspected legal breaches. The company said on Thursday that it had cooperated with US commerce department inspections and hired an American law firm to review its GPU inventory and export-control procedures, Reuters reported.

The controversy raises questions about oversight of third-party chip distributors and cloud partners. However, investigations into suspected diversion of restricted processors remain separate from the unproven intelligence allegations.