US President Donald Trump stated that the FBI is investigating Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang regarding his past relationship with an individual alleged to be a Chinese spy. Trump mentioned that he spoke with Huang on Monday, noting that the Nvidia boss stated he had no awareness of the woman's alleged espionage ties, a response the president said he believed.
The situation involves Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, who is not related to the Nvidia chief and served as managing director of Singaporean firm Megaspeed. US intelligence officials reportedly believe she targeted the executive as part of a Beijing espionage campaign, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio having issued a warning memo last spring.
Nvidia has initiated its own independent inquiry into the affair and stated it has found no indication that company secrets or national security were compromised. Meanwhile, the controversy has impacted the firm's market standing, resulting in a share price drop of over 4% on Monday and approximately $250bn being erased from its market valuation. Additionally, Nvidia and Jensen Huang face a proposed class action lawsuit in California alleging shareholder deception over the hidden ties, and the FBI has declined to comment on the matter.