Artificial intelligence chip giant Nvidia has launched an independent board investigation into its 63-year-old Taiwanese-born Chief Executive, Jensen Huang, after he admitted to an extra-marital affair with a businesswoman linked to Chinese espionage. Amid this, Huang issued an emotional email to employees, asking for forgiveness and promising complete cooperation with the probe.

To advertise here,

Personal apology and pledge of cooperation

In his message titled A Message to Our Company, the Nvidia co-founder confessed to being unfaithful to his wife and causing immense pain to his children. "There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry," he wrote.

“My family bears no responsibility for my choices. I do. Please give them privacy," he noted.

Addressing staff, board members, global partners, and shareholders, Huang acknowledged falling short of his leadership duties. Describing leading Nvidia as the privilege of his life, he pledged to work to earn back their confidence.

Huang also confronted national security concerns raised in news reports. Expressing love for his company and country, he confirmed full support for the board inquiry, adding that he remains proud to be an American and dedicated to protecting US national security.

Espionage allegations and Washington political ties

The investigation follows a report by The New York Times revealing that US intelligence tracked Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le. US officials say the Chinese executive—unrelated to Huang—was linked to Megaspeed, a Singapore firm under scrutiny for potentially steering Nvidia AI chips to Beijing. Intelligence sources concluded she was funnelling information to China. 

Nvidia stated its board inquiry will examine all available information, though it currently has no reason to believe national security or secrets were compromised. As a global leader producing chips for AI models, Nvidia sits at the centre of the US-China technology race.

The scandal carries political weight as Huang acts as an informal adviser to US President Donald Trump. Experts believe the relationship could have offered insights into Trump's AI policy ahead of his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump, briefed a year ago, told reporters he did not regret failing to act earlier, calling Huang an "honourable guy". Meanwhile, Beijing dismissed the allegations as "groundless speculation".

Stock market risk and growing scrutiny

Industry experts warn that the probe presents a major challenge. Financial analyst Dan Ives termed the investigation a "black eye moment" for Huang. He predicted it would spark US congressional inquiries, create stock uncertainty, and heighten scrutiny around selling AI chips to China. Although Huang is expected to retain his job in the near term,  Ives noted he risks removal depending on the probe's outcome.