US officials say Nvidia CEO targeted by Chinese espionage scheme

U.S. intelligence agencies have identified Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen and senior executive at Singapore-based data-centre company Megaspeed, as an intelligence asset for China. According to a report, she cultivated a close relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and allegedly passed advanced Nvidia AI chips and related information to Beijing.

The report says President Donald Trump was briefed on the matter about a year ago but did not take action, citing concerns about potential impacts on Nvidia’s business and U.S.–China trade relations. Some senior officials in the administration reportedly doubt that Jensen Huang was unaware of Ms. Huang’s intelligence-gathering role.

"Jensen's interactions with Ms. Huang are not unusual or unexpected. Meetings with customers are part of a CEO's job; Jensen talks with thousands of customer executives every year," said Nvidia spokesperson John Rizzo.

Rizzo added that Megaspeed customers receive ordinary business information, not sensitive trade secrets or data relevant to national security. Nvidia also stated that there is no evidence its chips are being smuggled to China and noted that Chinese authorities have blocked U.S. AI chips from entering the country.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington rejected the espionage allegations, describing them as part of a politically motivated campaign by the United States.

U.S. officials are reviewing whether to reinstate tighter export controls on advanced semiconductors, a policy area that saw restrictions introduced during the previous administration and later rolled back under President Trump. The outcome could affect overseas data-centre operators like Megaspeed that acquire chips for the Chinese market.

During a recent donor event at Mar-a-Lago, Jensen Huang and his wife met President Trump, and the CEO subsequently lobbied the president to allow continued commercial operations with China. Nvidia has contributed at least $20 million to the president’s fundraising efforts and pledged significant investment in U.S. manufacturing.