SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Just weeks ago, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called his contact with a Chinese businesswoman “completely normal.” Now he’s admitting he cheated on his wife.
In an email to employees on Sunday, Nov. 8, which Nvidia also published publicly, Huang, 63, confessed to an extramarital affair. The admission effectively confirms a series of reports linking him romantically to Alice Huang, Bloomberg reported. U.S. intelligence officials suspect her of working for Chinese intelligence.
“I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children,” Huang wrote.
Huang ended the message with a note to his wife, Lori: “To my wife and family: I love you.” The two met as students at Oregon State University more than 40 years ago and share two grown children, Madison and Spencer.
Who Is Alice Huang?
Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, is a former executive at Megaspeed International, a Singapore-based data center company and Nvidia customer. She is not related to Jensen Huang.
On Oct. 29, The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence officials believe she sought close ties with Huang to gather information about Nvidia’s technology. The Times also reported she may have been recruited to push for Nvidia’s advanced chips to be sold in China, despite U.S. restrictions.
According to the Times, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned top Trump administration officials about the relationship earlier this year.
The spy allegations have not been publicly proven. Alice Huang did not respond to the Times when it first reported the relationship, and Reuters said Monday it could not determine her whereabouts.
China has denied the claims. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson called them “purely groundless speculation.”
From “Completely Normal” to a Confession
When the story first broke in late October, Nvidia described the interactions between the two as “not unusual,” and Huang told Bloomberg his contact with her was “completely normal.”
Then came Sunday’s email. Huang told staff he owed his family and his employees an apology, but he did not publicly detail the relationship.
The same day, Nvidia’s board announced an independent investigation into whether Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort. The board said it has no reason to believe national security or company secrets were compromised, and that it still has confidence in Huang’s leadership. A company spokesperson said Huang plans to keep leading Nvidia “without interruption.”
Nvidia’s board says it has no reason to believe company secrets were compromised. Its independent investigation is ongoing.
Billions Wiped Out
Investors reacted fast. Nvidia shares fell about 5.7% in early trading Monday, erasing roughly $247 billion in market value at that point. News of two new competing AI chips from Alphabet also weighed on shares, Yahoo Finance reported.
Tech analyst Dan Ives of Yorkville Ives called it a “black eye moment” for Huang.
Some investors are openly questioning whether he can survive. “I doubt Jensen Huang will be able to remain as CEO,” Gary Black of The Future Fund told Reuters. Analysts note Nvidia has no clear successor in place.
Why It Matters
Huang has been a key voice in Washington for loosening U.S. restrictions on AI chip sales to China. The allegations could make that argument much harder to win.
Congress is already involved. Three House Republican committee leaders have asked Huang to brief them on his interactions with Alice Huang and gave him until Wednesday to respond.
Huang has led Nvidia since co-founding it more than three decades ago. Whether he keeps that job may now depend on what the board’s investigation finds.