General U.S. NewsNov 9, 2026·2 min read

A short seller flagged Nvidia CEO’s ties to a suspected Chinese spy six months before the scandal

TechCrunch – All

6h ago

A short seller flagged Nvidia CEO’s ties to a suspected Chinese spy six months before the scandal

Summary

Six months before the Nvidia spy scandal emerged , the New York-based short seller firm Culper Research had already raised questions about Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s unusually close relationship with Alice Huang, an executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based company that buys Nvidia chips. She is now suspected to be a Chinese spy. The Nvidia CEO admitted to an extramarital affair over the weekend, and the company has now opened a formal investigation into his relationship with Alice Huang (who shares his last name but is not related). U.S. intelligence officials believe she was recruited by the Chinese government to collect intelligence on Jensen Huang and influence his position regarding U.S. export controls on advanced AI chips. Culper’s May 13 report is resurfacing because it picked up on the connection between Jensen Huang and Alice Huang while investigating Megaspeed’s ties to Nvidia. NEW: We are short Nvidia $NVDA . We believe Nvidia has a significant China problem. Please see our full report and disclosures now available on our website, link in bio. pic.twitter.com/oTaJyL7S2R In particular, the report called the relationship between the two executives “uncomfortably close,” noting that the Nvidia CEO was spotted partying and socializing with Alice Huang on multiple occasions. Get an Early Peek at the Next TechCrunch Disrupt Disrupt, Startup Battlefield, and more will return next year, and you can be at the front of the line. Sign up for our waitlist Musk says Tesla will refund some Cybertruck deposits, defends decision to end production Tesla will stop making the Cybertruck in 2027 Claude can now analyze your spending with its new Personal Finance tool Harbinger raises $240M after expanding into defense Almost no one uses AI agents to book their Uber, company says Meta acquires AI coding startup Conductor Data centers are turning to old jet engines as the wait for power grows

From the source

Six months before Nvidia's spy scandal erupted, Culper Research was already questioning Jensen Huang's unusually close relationship with a Chinese executive.

Read the full article

Published by TechCrunch – All on techcrunch.com

Open on techcrunch.com ↗

🗞️ Full Coverage· 18 sources on this story

Assembled automatically from 18 independent reports — every line below is a real sentence from a real source, not generated text. Numbers link to where each point came from.

President Trump held a White House press briefing earlier today and responded to several questions about his knowledge of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s affair with an alleged Chinese spy.[1]

Nvidia on Sunday announced that it had opened a probe into its CEO’s relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed, following media reports that cited US intelligence claiming she worked for China’s Ministry of State Security.[2]

It’s difficult to overstate Nvidia’s power in today’s AI landscape.[3]

Heller Inc. founder Risa Heller has advised prominent men through personal scandals and sexual misconduct accusations, according to a 2023 New York Magazine profile.[4]

BBC News – World3h ago

The FBI declined to comment when contacted by the BBC.

Al Jazeera – News4h ago

New York Times – U.S. News5h ago

His relationship with a suspected spy for Beijing has rattled his company, the powerhouse chipmaker that is driving the data center boom powering the U.S. economy.

CNBC – Technology5h ago

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's extramarital affair with an alleged Chinese spy comes as the company is already about to face heightened scrutiny.

The Verge – Tech5h ago

It’s difficult to overstate Nvidia’s power in today’s AI landscape.

India Today – Top Stories5h ago

Trump says FBI probing Nvidias Jensen Huang over affair with Chinese spy

The Verge – Tech5h ago

President Trump held a White House press briefing earlier today and responded to several questions about his knowledge of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s affair with an alleged Chinese spy.

Business Insider – Tech5h ago

"Jensen's combination of technical expertise, strategic vision, and industry relationships is nearly impossible to replicate," he said.

TechCrunch – All5h ago

Heller Inc. founder Risa Heller has advised prominent men through personal scandals and sexual misconduct accusations, according to a 2023 New York Magazine profile.

Business Insider – Tech5h ago

The New York Times has reported that US intelligence officials believe the woman at the center of the scandal, Alice Huang , was recruited to gather information about Nvidia for the Chinese government.

Al Jazeera – News6h ago

Trump defends Nvidia’s Huang after calling about spy scandal Trump told reporters he believes Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang had no idea his alleged mistress was a suspected Chinese spy, adding that he expects him to be fine, while the FBI investigates.

The Verge – Tech6h ago

This is why, as both cofounder and longtime CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang would be a valuable target for a foreign adversary with sights on the American AI industry.

CNBC – Technology6h ago

Jensen Huang is practically synonymous with Nvidia, the chipmaker he co-founded in 1993 and turned into one of the most valuable companies on the planet.

TechCrunch – All(this article)6h ago

Get an Early Peek at the Next TechCrunch Disrupt Disrupt, Startup Battlefield, and more will return next year, and you can be at the front of the line.

Times of India – Top Stories6h ago

'He had no idea she was a spy': Trump backs Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang

Vox – Immigration7h ago

Kelly Hu can play Alice Huang, Jensen’s paramour and — even better — a purported agent of the Chinese government.

Business Insider – Tech7h ago

Another put Huang into the classic "distracted boyfriend" meme, showing a man walking with one woman while looking back at another.

Fortune – Tech7h ago

His 33-year reign as CEO, and the success he’s overseen during the AI boom, have made him a hugely powerful force at the $4.3 trillion company.

More in General U.S. News

General U.S. News3h ago

Trump says FBI investigating Nvidia boss's affair with alleged Chinese spy

"He's suffering": Trump answers BBC question about Nvidia's Jensen Huang US President Donald Trump has said the FBI is investigating the affair between the chief executive of Nvidia and an alleged Chinese spy. Trump said he spoke to Jensen Huang on Monday following reports that the US believed he had been targeted in a Chinese espionage campaign. "I asked him that question, 'Did you have any idea she was a spy?' He said 'I had no idea she was a spy' and I really believe him," Trump told reporters. Beijing has rejected claims that Huang was targeted, with its foreign ministry saying the allegations were "entirely groundless, speculative and intended to smear and malign China". Nvidia, which has commissioned an independent investigation into the affair involving Alice Huang, alleged to be a Chinese spy, said it had no reason to believe the company's secrets or national security were compromised. The company is the world's second most valuable company after Apple and designs computer chips that have become central to AI technology. The revelations knocked about $250bn (£190bn) off Nvidia's value on Monday as its share price fell by more than 4%. Trump later told reporters at the White House that the FBI was now looking into the issue, but did not elaborate on the probe or when it was launched. The FBI declined to comment when contacted by the BBC. US intelligence officials believe Alice Huang , also known as Huang Le, was a spy for Beijing, according to a New York Times report.

bbc.co.uk Read ↗

General U.S. News3h ago

Republican congressman to force impeachment vote on Defence Secretary Hegseth

Watch: Moment Thomas Massie introduces articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth A Republican congressman plans to force a vote in the House of Representatives this week to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, alleging he has violated the US Constitution. The effort will likely fail, as Republicans remain in power in Congress until January. He has said the effort was aimed at preventing a Democrat spectacle next year when they have control of Congress. "My effort to impeach Secretary Hegseth is a much gentler version of what's coming when the Democrats assume control of the House and Senate next year," Massie also said in a statement. "He's done a very good job." Impeaching a cabinet secretary is rare. Trump was impeached by the House twice in his first term in office but was cleared by the Senate after two trials and not removed. As with the presidential process, the House would first hold a vote on charges against Hegseth and the Senate then would conduct a trial to decide whether to acquit or convict. The House has voted to impeach only two cabinet members in US history, but the Senate did not convict either one. While the House requires a simple majority to pass articles of impeachment, the Senate mandates a two-thirds vote to convict, threshold that is difficult to meet in the current congressional term. When Democrats take over in January, they are likely to have at least 54 Senate seats - though two races do not yet have winners due to slim voting margins.

bbc.co.uk Read ↗

General U.S. News3h ago

Supreme Court Allows Construction of Trump’s Border Wall in Big Bend

Sunrise in the Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park in Texas this year.

nytimes.com Read ↗