Former Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has been asked to testify before US lawmakers in December over allegations involving a woman suspected of having links to Chinese intelligence and the possible diversion of restricted artificial intelligence chips to China.
The congressional action follows Huang’s resignation from the technology company he co-founded after reports of extramarital relationships, including one involving Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman whose activities have raised national security concerns.
The controversy has reportedly wiped nearly $500 billion from Nvidia’s market value, putting the world’s leading AI chipmaker under intense scrutiny and raising questions about the security of sensitive American technology.
Republican Senator Tim Scott, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, said on Thursday that he had requested testimony from Huang and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in December. He said recent reports had raised serious concerns about national security and the protection of sensitive technology.
The Senate request comes alongside a separate demand by three House of Representatives committees for Huang to attend a closed-door interview on December 1. The committees have threatened to issue a subpoena if he does not cooperate.
Huang, 63, who is married to Lori Huang, admitted on Sunday to having an affair. Reports identified the woman as Alice Huang, a former senior executive at Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed. The two are not related.
US intelligence officials reportedly circulated a memorandum earlier this year alleging that Alice Huang was connected to China’s Ministry of State Security. Beijing has rejected the espionage allegations.
The controversy widened on Wednesday after The New York Times reported another alleged relationship involving Huang and Nvidia Vice-President of Healthcare Kimberly Powell, citing video footage said to show the pair behaving affectionately.
Nvidia’s board had already launched an investigation into reports that its former chief executive may have been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. Although the board initially expressed confidence in him, Huang subsequently resigned after 33 years at the company.
He also relinquished his board seat. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress has taken over as interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent successor.
Chip security concerns draw congressional scrutiny
The allegations have intensified concerns over the possible transfer of advanced American AI technology to China at a time of growing competition between Washington and Beijing for dominance in the industry.
Nvidia became one of the biggest beneficiaries of the global artificial intelligence boom after the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022 triggered massive investment in the technology. Its processors, originally developed largely for video game graphics, became essential components for training and running advanced AI systems.
Huang had been an influential informal adviser to US President Donald Trump on artificial intelligence and had spent years lobbying against restrictions on the sale of advanced Nvidia chips to China.
Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer and other lawmakers have demanded explanations about what the Trump administration knew concerning Huang’s alleged connections to Alice Huang. Their calls for answers come just days before Trump is expected to travel to China for a summit.
Questions have also emerged over whether the Commerce Department acted adequately on suspicions that Megaspeed was helping redirect restricted Nvidia technology to Chinese buyers.
Singapore’s Home Affairs Ministry said it had repeatedly requested information from the US Justice Department and FBI during its investigation into Megaspeed, including details concerning a US-based server supplier, but received limited assistance.
Singapore also confirmed on Thursday that Alice Huang had been barred from returning to the country in February after providing investigators with inaccurate information about her role at Megaspeed. Authorities said she was not investigated for espionage.
Malaysia, meanwhile, said it was investigating a subsidiary of Megaspeed International over possible diversion of advanced AI chips to other countries.
Trump backs Huang but suggests resignation depended on allegations
Trump, who had supported Huang during the controversy, said on Thursday that whether the former CEO should have resigned depended on whether the woman involved was actually a spy.
He indicated that the circumstances would have been different if the espionage allegations were unfounded. Trump also expressed confidence that Huang would recover from the crisis, saying the former executive was facing a difficult period and was particularly distressed about the impact on his wife and family.
The president also suggested that former Apple chief executive Tim Cook could take over at Nvidia, praising his record at the iPhone maker.
Nvidia’s board has appointed Harvey Jones, a former chief executive of chip design software company Synopsys, as its chairman. It said the leadership change would not interrupt the company’s operations or product development plans.
Kress joined Nvidia in 2013 after nearly 25 years working at companies including Cisco and Microsoft.
Investment analyst Dan Ives of Yorkville Ives described Huang’s departure as a major blow to Nvidia and the wider US technology sector, but argued that the board had taken a necessary step to allow the company to move forward.
The investigations and congressional demands are expected to keep attention on Nvidia’s leadership, the handling of sensitive chip technology and the US government’s response to suspected efforts to bypass export restrictions.
