US lawmakers summon Nvidia ex-CEO Jensen Huang after affair with suspected spy
SAN FRANCISCO – US lawmakers have called Jensen Huang, an architect of the AI boom, to face their questions in December after the former Nvidia chief executive quit over extramarital affairs, including one with a suspected Chinese spy.
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executive → summon → spy
The scandal has wiped almost half a trillion dollars off Nvidia’s market valuation, as it raises national security fears and leaves the AI industry in uncharted waters.
“Recent reports raise serious concerns about our national security and the protection of sensitive US technology,” Republican Senator Tim Scott wrote on Nov 12 on social media platform X.
Scott said he was requesting Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify in December before the Senate Banking Committee, which he chairs.
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he → wipe → which
It joins a call for a closed-door interview with the leather-jacketed, 63-year-old Huang on Dec 1 by three House of Representatives committees, on threat of subpoena.
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It → join → subpoena
Huang, who has been married to his wife Lori for more than 40 years, admitted on Nov 8 to an affair, reportedly with Alice Huang, a former senior executive at Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed.
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who → admit → Megaspeed
The two are not related.
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two → relate → ?
US intelligence reportedly circulated a memo in the spring of 2026 alleging she was an asset of China’s Ministry of State Security.
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she → circulate → Security
Beijing has rejected the allegations.
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Beijing → reject → allegations
On Nov 11, The New York Times reported a second affair, citing video of Huang being affectionate with Nvidia’s vice-president of healthcare, Kimberly Powell.
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Huang → report → healthcare
While Nvidia’s board searches for a permanent successor to Huang, who spent 33 years at the helm of the firm he co-founded, chief financial officer Colette Kress will serve as interim CEO.
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Kress → search → CEO
Nvidia hit gold when the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022 sparked a global rush to develop AI, with its processors – once designed for video game graphics – becoming a crucial ingredient to train and run the technology.
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processors → hit → technology
Informal Trump adviser
Nvidia did not give a reason for the departure of Huang, who also gave up his board seat.
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who → give → seat
Huang is Nvidia’s largest individual shareholder, with a stake of about 3.6%, according to the company.
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Huang → accord → company
The Taiwanese-born businessman was a close informal adviser to US President Donald Trump on AI, and had spent years lobbying against curbs on sales of advanced AI chips to China for national security reasons.
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businessman → bear → reasons
Dan Ives, of investment bank Yorkville Ives, called it “a dark day for Nvidia and the US tech industry”.
But he said the board had done what it needed: “rip off the band-aid and take Nvidia into its next chapter without him”.
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it → call → him
The board named Harvey Jones, a former chief executive of chip design software firm Synopsys, as chair, and said it expected the company’s operations and product road map “to continue without interruption”.
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map → name → interruption
Interim CEO Kress joined Nvidia in 2013 after nearly 25 years at companies including Cisco and Microsoft.
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Kress → join → Cisco
Trump, who had stood by Huang throughout the scandal, said former Apple boss Tim Cook should take over.
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Cook → stand → scandal
“A Legend replaces a Legend!” Trump said on his Truth Social network, adding that Cook had made Apple “one of the great companies of the world at a fairly short range”.
‘Going through hell’
Singapore said on Nov 12 that it had barred Alice Huang, a Chinese national, from re-entering the country in February for giving investigators inaccurate information about her role at Megaspeed, though she was not investigated for espionage.
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she → replace → espionage
Nvidia’s board opened a probe on Nov 8 into reporting that Huang had been the target of a “foreign intelligence effort”, while saying it retained confidence in him.
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it → open → him
When asked on Nov 12 if Jensen should have stepped down, Trump said it would depend.
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it → ask → Nov
If the woman was not a spy, perhaps it would be different,” Trump said in an interview.
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Trump → say → interview
But Trump said he was confident that Huang will “end up on his feet”, adding: “I spoke to him yesterday.
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I → say → him
He’s going through hell.
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He → go → hell
What he feels most badly about is his wife and family.”
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feels → feel → What
At the heart of the spy allegations is the race between the United States and China for supremacy in an industry widely seen as the next industrial revolution.
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race → see → revolution
Key US lawmakers, including Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, called on Nov 12 for answers on what the Trump administration knew about Huang’s ties to a suspected Chinese spy, days before Trump travels to China for a summit.
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Trump → include → summit
Reports allege the Commerce Department under Secretary Howard Lutnick may have failed to act on suspicions that Megaspeed was helping reroute restricted Nvidia technology to China.
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Megaspeed → allege → China
Singapore’s home ministry said it had repeatedly sought information from the US Justice Department and FBI on a US server supplier during its Megaspeed probe, but “received limited information or assistance”.
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it → say → information
Malaysia also said on Nov 13 it was investigating a subsidiary of Megaspeed International over the possible diversion of advanced AI chips to other countries.
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it → say → countries
The Aporia
