Nvidia's Huang Misled Top Lawyer About Affair With Suspected Chinese Operative, Reuters Reports

Former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang misled the company's general counsel and other senior leaders about the nature of his relationship with a woman U.S. authorities suspect was a Chinese intelligence operative, according to internal messages reviewed by Reuters. The disclosure adds a governance and potential legal dimension to the scandal that forced Huang's resignation on November 12.

Internal messages show Huang described relationship as routine business

In two separate messages sent in October 2026, Huang told Nvidia leaders — including General Counsel Tim Teter and Chief Marketing Officer Alison Wagonfeld — that his interactions with Alice Huang reflected standard business dealings with customers, according to two people familiar with the matter and correspondence reviewed by Reuters [2]. Reuters did not quote the messages verbatim, citing an agreement with its sources.

The messages came in response to press queries that had drawn Nvidia leaders' attention to Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive of Singapore-based Megaspeed International and an Nvidia cloud partner. Huang had similarly described the interactions as appropriate in autumn 2025, though Reuters reviewed only the October 2026 exchanges [2].

Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, became Megaspeed's controlling shareholder in March 2023 after a career in Shanghai finance [6]. Photos verified by Reuters show her with Jensen Huang in the U.S., China, and Taiwan dating back to December 2023 [2]. The two are not related.

Board investigation and resignation

Nvidia's board launched an independent investigation on November 8 after the New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence officials believed Alice Huang was acting on behalf of Chinese intelligence and had a close relationship with Huang [7]. The board initially expressed confidence in Huang but met on November 11 to decide whether to oust him [5]. On November 10, independent directors retained Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to lead the probe [2].

Huang resigned as president, CEO, and board member effective November 12 [3][7]. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress was named interim CEO [3]. Huang apologized on November 8 for being unfaithful to his wife without naming Alice Huang or disclosing details [2][5].

The New York Times reported on November 11 that Huang also had an extramarital affair with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare, who reported to him [3][5]. Reuters could not independently verify that report [5].

Shareholder lawsuit and market impact

A proposed class action filed November 9 in federal court in San Jose accuses Nvidia and Huang of defrauding shareholders by concealing his ties with a suspected Chinese spy and failing to disclose national security concerns [1]. The suit was filed five minutes after market close; Nvidia shares fell 4.3% that day, reducing market capitalization by approximately $190 billion [1].

Since an October 6 peak, Nvidia's stock has fallen more than 30%, erasing over $1.8 trillion in market value [2]. Shares dropped a further 4.3% on November 12 after the resignation announcement [3].

National security dimension

The New York Times reported in October 2025 that federal investigators were examining Megaspeed's activities and potential exports of advanced chips to China [7]. In October 2026, the Times reported that U.S. intelligence officials had concluded Alice Huang was a Chinese intelligence asset [1]. China's Foreign Ministry has called the allegations "groundless" [4].

Reuters has not independently verified whether Alice Huang was working on behalf of the Chinese government [2]. U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said on November 12 that the Justice Department had not yet reached a conclusion [3].

President Donald Trump said on November 9 that the FBI was looking into the matter and that Huang told him he had no idea the woman was a spy [4]. Trump had awarded Huang the National Medal of Science on October 8 [7]. A classified memo drafted under Secretary of State Marco Rubio in spring 2026 warned senior officials about Huang's close relationship with Alice Huang, the Times reported [7].

Lawmakers from both parties have called for tighter restrictions on China's access to advanced AI chips [3]. Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott has requested Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testify next month [3]. The Times reported that Trump was briefed on the relationship and chose not to act [4].

What remains unclear

• When Huang's relationship with Alice Huang became intimate. Reuters verified photos together from December 2023 onward [2].
• Whether Huang knew of any alleged intelligence activity. He told Bloomberg on October 29 that the U.S. government had not informed him of its suspicions [2].
• Whether any sensitive Nvidia information was compromised. The company has said its CEO meets thousands of customer executives annually and shares ordinary business information, not trade secrets or national security information [6].
• The full scope of the board's investigation, now led by Wachtell Lipton partner Joon Kim, former acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York [7].

Huang has hired Paul Weiss for personal representation [3]. Nvidia, Teter, Wagonfeld, and representatives for Huang and Alice Huang declined to comment or did not respond to Reuters [2][3][5].