President Donald Trump revealed he spoke with Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang on Monday regarding allegations linking the executive to an alleged Chinese spy. According to Trump, Huang stated he was completely unaware that Alice Huang, an executive with Megaspeed International whom the CEO admitted having an extramarital affair with, was operating as an intelligence asset.
The controversy has prompted Nvidia's board to launch an independent investigation. Trump stated at the White House that he was amazed by the accusations and noted he only recently learned of claims that Alice Huang served as a Chinese spy.
Reports previously indicated that U.S. intelligence agencies investigated Alice Huang over suspicions of directing advanced Nvidia artificial intelligence chips toward China and passing information to Beijing. Media reports also noted that a memo circulated among top administration officials earlier in the year regarding the allegations, and that Trump was previously briefed on the matter.
During their conversation, Trump asked the Nvidia chief directly if he had any knowledge of the individual's activities. Trump stated that Huang completely denied having any idea she was a spy, adding that he personally believes the CEO's denial.