Megaspeed accused of routing restricted Nvidia chips through Singapore and Malaysia to Chinese firms
Authorities in Singapore and the United States are investigating Megaspeed for possible violations of export controls after reports that the company moved billions of dollars in Nvidia chips to a Malaysian subsidiary that supplied Chinese data-center operators.
Singapore-based AI cloud provider Megaspeed is under investigation by Singaporean authorities for suspected breaches of domestic law and by U.S. officials for potential export-control violations. The probe follows reports that the firm, through its Malaysian subsidiary Speedmatrix, facilitated the movement of at least $7.5 billion worth of Nvidia’s Blackwell and Rubin chips, which are subject to U.S. export restrictions to China.
"Chinese firms can access data centers in Singapore and Malaysia—and their computing capacity—without having to import restricted semiconductors," said Ja Ian Chong, a political-science expert at the National University of Singapore. He added that the ease of shipping chips through the region makes it attractive for entities seeking to bypass U.S. controls.
According to The Information, Alice Huang, an executive at Megaspeed, used her personal relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to arrange the transfers. Speedmatrix reportedly received more than 200 shipments of restricted Nvidia technology between June 2024 and June 2025, which were later used by Shanghai Century Litong, a Chinese data-center builder linked to Huang’s sister, to provide AI computing capacity to firms such as Alibaba and Tencent.
Megaspeed, originally incorporated in 2015 as 7Road International, was renamed in early 2023 and acquired by Singapore-registered Swiftdata in November 2023. Its sole director, Tan Yong Pong, also founded the Malaysian subsidiary Speedmatrix in 2024. The company has denied any wrongdoing, stating it operates within all applicable export-control regulations.
U.S. officials have highlighted that while current rules allow Chinese companies to use AI processors housed outside China, the practice has drawn regulatory scrutiny. The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Remote Access Security Act, aimed at closing the loophole that permits such access, and the bill now awaits Senate action.
Both Singapore and Malaysia have taken steps against chip smuggling, including recent seizures of advanced AI chips by Malaysian customs and fraud charges in Singapore related to diverted AI servers. Analysts warn that the growing AI competition between the United States and China could increase scrutiny of third-party jurisdictions that facilitate technology transfers.