Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang may have been the target of a suspected Chinese intelligence operation through his association with a Singapore-based business executive, The New York Times reported on Thursday.
Trump has been reluctant to disrupt Nvidia’s chip sales, which contribute to the US economy and stock market, or further complicate trade relations with China. US officials initially did not believe Jensen Huang knew that Alice Huang was allegedly gathering intelligence for Beijing . Some senior officials in the Trump administration have since questioned whether he could have remained unaware of her suspected activities. The investigation began after a Commerce Department official found Nvidia equipment still packed in boxes during a visit to the company’s data centre in Malaysia. Jensen Huang has lobbied the Trump administration to ease restrictions on Nvidia chip sales to China. Huang attended a White House state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping last month.
US authorities have been investigating Megaspeed since late 2024 over suspicions that it helped China bypass restrictions on advanced Nvidia chips. Nvidia has also pledged to invest $500 billion in US manufacturing and donated at least $20 million to Trump’s ballroom fund, according to people cited by the NYT.
US President Donald Trump was briefed about the intelligence findings roughly a year ago but chose not to act, according to the report. Jensen Huang has not received a warning, known as a defensive briefing, about the alleged intelligence operation, according to people familiar with the surveillance. The surveillance of Alice Huang is continuing, the report said.
Trump approved sales of older-generation Nvidia chips to China last year in exchange for a share of the revenue but rejected a proposal to allow sales of more powerful chips.
