The board of American chipmaker Nvidia has launched an investigation into chief executive Jensen Huang’s relationship with an alleged Chinese spy, as Huang admitted his infidelity in a company memo.
asserted
Huang → launch → memo
Reports that Huang, one of the most powerful and important figures in artificial intelligence and technology, had an affair with data centre company executive and suspected Chinese spy Alice Huang have rocked the industry and Washington.
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Huang → suspect → industry
On Sunday (US time), the board said it was initiating an independent investigation “in light of recent reporting that founder and chief executive Jensen Huang has been the target of a foreign intelligence effort”.
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Huang → say → effort
A committee of independent directors would oversee the probe, assisted by outside independent counsel.
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committee → oversee → counsel
“The board prioritises US national and economic security, which is paramount to the interests of NVIDIA and its shareholders,” the statement said.
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statement → prioritise → NVIDIA
“While the board has no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised, the board’s inquiry will examine all available information.
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inquiry → have → information
Jensen fully supports the review and has committed to co-operating with it.”
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Jensen → support → it
The Nvidia board said it had full confidence in Huang and his leadership team.
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it → say → Huang
At the same time, Huang emailed staff acknowledging his infidelity.
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Huang → email → infidelity
“I owe my family and all of you an apology,” Huang said in the email.
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Huang → owe → email
My actions hurt her and our children.
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actions → hurt → her
There is no excuse for what I did.”
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I → be → what
The chief executive said he took full responsibility for his actions, and that the company’s board, partners and shareholders “deserve better from me”.
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board → say → me
He affirmed that he would fully co-operate with the board’s investigation.
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he → affirm → investigation
“I love our country and our company,” Huang said.
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Huang → love → country
“I am committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting America’s national security.
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I → commit → security
Alice Huang is a Chinese citizen and an executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data centre company and Nvidia customer.
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Huang → base → Megaspeed
It provides cloud computing services to Chinese companies such as e-commerce giant Alibaba.
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It → provide → Alibaba
Late last month, The New York Times reported that US intelligence agencies had concluded Alice Huang was funnelling information to Beijing.
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Huang → report → Beijing
Through surveillance, they had also detected her close relationship with the Nvidia chief executive.
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they → detect → executive
The Times reported that US officials briefed President Donald Trump on this information about a year ago, but that he “chose not to do anything with the information”.
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he → report → information
Last month, Nvidia told the Times it had previously investigated and debunked claims that Megaspeed was smuggling chips to China.
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Megaspeed → tell → China
Of Alice Huang, Nvidia spokesman John Rizzo said: “Jensen’s interactions with Ms. Huang are not unusual or unexpected.
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interactions → say → Huang
Meetings with customers are part of a CEO’s job; Jensen talks with thousands of customer executives every year.”
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Jensen → talk → executives
Trump has championed Nvidia and Jensen Huang as leading lights of America’s artificial intelligence industry.
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Trump → champion → industry
In September, he and other industry titans attended an intimate state dinner with Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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he → attend → Trump
In May, he boarded Air Force One during a refuelling stop in Anchorage, Alaska to join Trump’s delegation – which included other top executives – on an official state visit to Beijing.
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which → board → Beijing
On Sunday, shortly before Nvidia’s board announced its investigation, the Times reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio oversaw a highly classified memo earlier this year on Jensen Huang’s links to Alice Huang.
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Rubio → announce → Huang
The memo reportedly said she had been recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security, Beijing’s principal spy agency, to collect intelligence on the Nvidia boss.
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she → say → boss
The revelations have alarmed politicians on Capitol Hill.
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revelations → alarm → Hill
Three powerful Republican committee chairs wrote to Jensen Huang last week requesting that he appear before Congress.
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he → write → Congress
“Recent reports raise significant national security concerns regarding the People’s Republic of China’s access to sensitive US technology and information,” they said.
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they → raise → technology
“It is vital that Congress determines the extent to which US national security has been placed at risk.”
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security → determine → risk
The letter was signed by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford.
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letter → sign → Intelligence
Last week, after the initial reports about Jensen Huang were published, Trump defended the Nvidia chief as a “brilliant person” and said he would “check out” the allegations.
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he → publish → allegations
“I have a lot of respect for Jensen.
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I → have → Jensen
I didn’t know about the specific thing,” the president said.
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president → know → thing
“I hope he’s going to be OK.
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he → hope → ?
He’s a great, brilliant person, and we want to protect our brilliant people.”
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we → ’ → people
Asked if Huang would remain on his advisory council, Trump said: “I have a lot of advisers, I have a group of advisers, they all meet together.
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they → ask → advisers
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
