Nvidia boss Jensen Huang is facing growing pressure as US lawmakers raise concerns over whether his relationship with a woman suspected of having links to Chinese intelligence could have compromised American national security.On Wednesday, Congressman Jamie Raskin said Congress was more concerned about the possible impact of the alleged relationship on US national security than Huang’s position as the head of the chipmaker.“The fate of Mr Huang as the CEO of his companies is up to his board. Apparently, he exercises a lot of influence over his board,” Raskin said, adding that the decision to retain or remove him was a matter for the company’s directors.However, he said lawmakers had a legitimate reason to examine whether China had used an alleged “honeypot scheme” to influence a major American corporate executive.Raskin alleged that the woman, suspected of acting on behalf of China, may have influenced Huang, who in turn used his financial influence to persuade President Donald Trump to allow Nvidia to sell its advanced AI chips to China.“Did this whole scheme end up compromising the national security of the United States? That is our legitimate interest,” he said, adding that Congress was likely to hold oversight hearings on the matter.Earlier, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer criticised Trump for allegedly failing to act despite being briefed more than a year ago about Huang’s reported relationship with a suspected Chinese spy.Schumer said the reports raised serious questions about the administration’s handling of national security concerns involving one of America’s most important technology companies.“Trump has been busy trying to defend Jensen Huang, when he ought to be defending our national security,” Schumer said.He also called on Congress to pass bipartisan legislation, including the AI Oversight Act, the MATCH Act and the Chip Security Act, to restrict China’s access to advanced American technology.
Nvidia board weighs Jensen Huang’s future
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that Nvidia’s board of directors was preparing to remove Huang as CEO, citing people familiar with the matter. The reported move follows allegations about his relationship with a woman suspected of having links to Chinese intelligence.Huang has acknowledged the alleged affair and reportedly discussed his infidelity with employees during meetings on Monday and Tuesday.Following his acknowledgement, Nvidia’s board said it had launched an investigation into the matter. The probe is being led by law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.The New York Times separately reported that Huang had an extramarital relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, who reports directly to him.According to the NYT, Huang and Powell, 48, were captured on video behaving affectionately at a hotel in San Jose, California, during an Nvidia conference in March.
Suspected Chinese spy Alice Huang in Beijing
Adding to the row, Megaspeed International founder Alice Huang, the suspected Chinese spy at the centre of the scandal, is currently living in Beijing.Security officials are aware of her presence in the Chinese capital, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.A CBS News reporter also said in a post on X that Nvidia’s board was preparing to discuss Jensen Huang’s future, with the Trump administration aware of plans to remove him from the position.The controversy has also weighed on Nvidia’s shares. CBS reported that the company’s stock fell more than 8% in after-hours trading on Wednesday following The Wall Street Journal’s report, extending a multi-day decline.Nvidia was co-founded by Jensen Huang in 1993. The company designs some of the world’s most powerful semiconductors, which are widely used by leading artificial intelligence firms. Its advanced chips are considered strategically important, with US export controls restricting their sale to China.
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