Milan, November 9 (askanews) – A scandal involving sex, espionage, and high technology is rocking Nvidia, the American semiconductor giant at the center of the artificial intelligence revolution. Founder and CEO Jensen Huang has admitted to an extramarital affair with a Chinese executive who, according to US intelligence, was recruited by Beijing's secret services specifically to get close to him. The woman, Alice Huang, who is not related to the executive, worked for Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data center company and a major buyer of Nvidia processors in Southeast Asia.
According to the New York Times, he allegedly passed information directly to Beijing. Nvidia's board of directors has opened an independent investigation to determine any risks to national security and the group's industrial secrets. At this time, the company states, there is no evidence to suggest confidential information was compromised. Huang publicly apologized to his family and employees, promising full cooperation.
Donald Trump also came to his defense, expressing confidence in his continued leadership of Nvidia. Beijing, meanwhile, rejects the espionage accusations: "We have already expressed our opinion on the matter. The story of an alleged Chinese spy is nothing but baseless defamation and slander," said Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The case comes at a delicate stage in relations between Washington and Beijing, on the eve of a new meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping, while the issue of US restrictions on exports of the most advanced chips to China remains unresolved.
Askanews