TLDR
- Nvidia’s board opened an independent probe into CEO Jensen Huang’s relationship with a woman U.S. agencies suspect is a Chinese spy.
- Huang admitted to an affair in an email to staff and said there is “no excuse” for it.
- The stock was up 2.78%, or $5.04, in the latest quote tied to the news.
- Earnings are due Nov. 17, and House Republicans want a closed-door briefing from Huang on Nov. 18.
- China’s Foreign Ministry called the spy claims “entirely groundless.”
Nvidia (NVDA) stock was up 2.78%, or $5.04, in the latest quote tied to the news. The move came as the company opened an independent probe into CEO Jensen Huang.
Huang told staff in a Sunday email that he had an affair. “I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did,” he wrote.
The board said it will look into reports that Huang was “the target of a foreign intelligence effort.” A committee of independent directors and outside counsel will oversee the work.
BREAKING: Nvidia, $NVDA, CEO Jensen Huang sends a company-wide email regarding his recently reported relationship with a Chinese spy. pic.twitter.com/NTdoSgaxoy
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) November 8, 2026
The board added that it has no reason to believe national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised. It said the inquiry will still examine all available information.
A company spokesperson said Huang plans to keep running Nvidia without interruption. Huang, 63, said he supports the investigation.
The probe lands in a busy stretch for the chipmaker. Nvidia reports third-quarter earnings on Nov. 17.
One day later, on Nov. 18, three House Republican committee chairs want Huang to sit for a closed-door briefing. Nvidia will also hold a major conference in Washington, D.C., at the end of the month.
Who Is Alice Huang?
The woman at the center of the reports is Alice Huang, who has no relation to Jensen. She is a boss at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data center company.
The New York Times and the Financial Times reported that U.S. intelligence agencies worry she passed information to Beijing. The Financial Times also reported that U.S. intelligence believed the two were in a romantic relationship.
Megaspeed is an Nvidia customer. It has been accused of helping restricted Chinese companies get Nvidia AI chips.
Nvidia has said Megaspeed was already investigated for dodging export controls. It also said chip diversion worries were “debunked last year.”
Reaction From Wall Street, Washington and Beijing
Dan Ives of Yorkville & Ives called the news “a black eye moment for Jensen.” He said it will raise scrutiny of chip sales to China, which Huang has lobbied for.
George Chen of The Asia Group said Nvidia and Huang are deeply intertwined. He said a sudden Huang exit would not serve investors well.
President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that he has not spoken to Huang since the probe was announced. He called Huang a “fine person.”
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, spoke on Monday. He called the spy claims “entirely groundless, speculative” and meant to smear China.
On Weibo, Huang’s admission of infidelity drew more than 40 million views. The spy allegation was largely missing from that online discussion.
