Nvidia's board of directors said on November 8 that it will investigate reports that CEO Jensen Huang was a target of foreign intelligence activity, according to 読売新聞. The decision followed a New York Times report that U.S. intelligence agencies had concluded a Chinese woman close to Huang was a spy for Beijing.
In a message to employees the same day, Huang acknowledged the relationship outside his marriage and apologized, saying he had betrayed his wife and offered no excuse, 読売新聞 reported. He said he would cooperate fully with the board's inquiry.
The review will be handled by a committee of independent outside directors working with outside lawyers. The board said it currently sees no reason to believe that national security or the company's confidential information was compromised.
According to the New York Times report cited by 読売新聞, the woman is a former executive at a Singapore-based data center company that is an Nvidia customer, and she allegedly passed information to the Chinese government. The Times report was published on October 29.
The disclosure adds a sensitive dimension to Nvidia's position in the U.S.–China technology dispute. Huang has repeatedly urged Washington to ease restrictions on semiconductor exports to China, a market that matters greatly to the chipmaker.
Watch for the board committee's findings and whether U.S. authorities open a separate review of the alleged intelligence breach.