SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 9, 2026 | Nvidia's board has opened an independent investigation into whether CEO Jensen Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort, after he admitted to an affair with a Chinese businesswoman whom U.S. intelligence officials reportedly believed was gathering information for Beijing, Al Jazeera reported on Monday. In a statement dated Nov. 8, the board said a committee of independent directors, advised by outside independent counsel, will oversee the review, and that it has no reason to believe national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised.
What Nvidia and Huang Said
Huang, 63, told staff in a memo on Sunday that he had been unfaithful to his wife. "There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry," he wrote, according to Al Jazeera. The board said Huang supports the review and has committed to cooperating, and that it has confidence in him and his leadership team. Al Jazeera reported that he will keep leading the company.
The allegations trace to a New York Times investigation published in late October. It reported that U.S. intelligence officials believed Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le and a former senior executive at Megaspeed International, had been recruited by Beijing to gather information about the Nvidia CEO. The two are not related. The Times reported that Megaspeed bought about $4.8 billion of equipment from Nvidia, and Al Jazeera said U.S. authorities have investigated Megaspeed since 2024 over suspicions it helped China obtain advanced Nvidia chips in violation of export rules.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun called the spy narrative unsubstantiated and "nothing but smears against China." Nvidia's stock fell more than 4% in overnight trading into Monday, according to Al Jazeera, which put the company's market value at $4.5 trillion. Our Nvidia statistics guide covers the company's revenue and market cap in more detail.
The Political Pressure and What It Means
Republican Congressmen John Moolenaar, Brian Mast and Rick Crawford have called for Huang to testify before Congress on Nov. 18, and Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren has demanded answers and pushed for stronger legislation, Al Jazeera reported. President Donald Trump defended Huang as an "honourable guy." Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG Group, said the allegations "deal a blow to the cult of Huang."
For businesses that depend on Nvidia hardware, the board's statement separates two issues. The first is security: whether anything sensitive was exposed, which the board says it has no reason to believe. The second is governance and trade compliance, because the reporting links a customer of Nvidia to a federal export inquiry. The review's findings, and any testimony in Congress, will show which of those questions carries more weight. Until then, the confirmed facts are the board's review, Huang's admission and the market's first reaction, not a change in leadership.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Nvidia investigating Jensen Huang?
Nvidia's board opened an independent investigation after reporting that Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort, and after he admitted to an affair with a woman U.S. officials reportedly believed was gathering information for Beijing. A committee of independent directors, advised by outside independent counsel, will oversee it.
Is Jensen Huang still Nvidia's CEO?
Yes. Nvidia's board said it has confidence in Huang and his leadership team, and Al Jazeera reported that he will keep leading the company while the investigation continues.