Jensen Huang has officially resigned from his role as CEO of Nvidia, marking the conclusion of a volatile week for the semiconductor giant. His exit follows public disclosures concerning an extramarital relationship with Alice Huang, a woman identified in reports as a suspected operative for Chinese intelligence services. But the seeds for Huang’s downfall were planted much earlier. Tyler Cowen: Jensen Huang’s Secret Is Out.
The controversy surrounding the former CEO is rooted in activities dating back to 2023. During that year, Alice Huang—who holds no relation to the executive—became the managing director of Megaspeed International, a Singapore-based data center. This firm, which recently stated it has adhered to U.S. regulations, subsequently purchased billions of dollars worth of servers and chips from Nvidia. Megaspeed’s shares were transferred to another Singapore company, Swiftdata, and Alice Huang ceased to be listed as a director of the company, according to news site Caixin Global.
Concerns regarding their proximity were noted as early as May, when an investor questioned their what was described as an “uncomfortably close relationship” after the two were seen socializing. Records show Alice Huang, formerly a television reporter in China, also served as deputy general manager at Shanghai Hexi Investment Management, a firm established by her husband, Kang Wei.
The evolution of Megaspeed, often referred to as a “neocloud” company, involved complex corporate maneuvering. Originally incorporated as 7Road International in 2015, the firm was renamed and placed under the control of Huang Le Ltd., an enterprise led by Alice Huang. Further corporate ties emerged when Shanghai Century Litong, a cloud-computing entity linked to Alice’s sister, Huang Yu, was named a preferred cloud partner by Nvidia, granting it prioritized access to advanced chips.
By 2024, Megaspeed’s financial scale had grown significantly, with assets rising from $33 million to $3 billion. Analysis by Culper Research indicates that between late 2024 and early 2026, a Malaysian subsidiary named Speedmatrix imported roughly $4 billion in equipment utilizing Nvidia technology. In pitch meetings, Alice Huang and Kang Wei allegedly assured investors they faced no difficulty securing GPUs, citing Alibaba as a primary customer. Analyzed by short-selling firm Culper Research, suggest that Megaspeed’s Malaysian subsidiary, Speedmatrix, imported about $4 billion in products from a company tha, shipment records from December 2024 through early 2026.
The timeline of professional and personal intersections is dense. In mid-2024, Nvidia received approval to sell sophisticated H20 chips to China, a decision Huang defended at the time as essential for American competitiveness. That same month, Nvidia reached a $4 trillion market valuation. Shortly after, reports indicated that Singaporean authorities had begun investigating Megaspeed for suspected false declarations, and Alice Huang was subsequently barred from re-entering the country. According to it’s so innovative and dynamic here in China that it’s really important that American companies are able to compete and serve the market here in China,” Huang, At the time.
Tensions escalated as investigations into the couple intensified. Chinese police detained Kang Wei on suspicion of stock manipulation. Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence officials began expressing serious concerns. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly briefed President Trump on the counterintelligence risks linked to the affair, marking the second such intelligence warning received by the administration.
On the political stage, Jensen Huang maintained high-profile visibility, attending a state dinner for Xi Jinping and participating in a White House AI safety event. However, internal pressure mounted until Huang authored a message to staff confirming the affair. Nvidia’s board simultaneously launched an independent probe into reports that the CEO had become the target of a foreign intelligence operation. Jensen Huang attends an AI event at the White House and signs a set of voluntary AI safety standards amid calls for tighter guardrails on the technology.
Public surveillance efforts, highlighted in media reports in November, suggested Alice Huang may have been funneling sensitive information to Beijing. Information technology firm NetThunder posted a picture on social media of Alice Huang and Jensen Huang with other tech executives at a bar in Taipei, Taiwan. Around the time of the Computex tech conference in Taiwan, jensen Huang and Alice Huang are recorded on video together at a dinner at San Liu Shi Fu restaurant in Taipei. Jensen Huang boards Air Force One in Alaska to accompany Mr. Trump on a two-day trip to Beijing. According to 8, U.S. government surveillance suggested Alice Huang was feeding information directly to Beijing.
During a White House press briefing, President Trump noted he had spoken with the Nvidia leader, describing him as an “honorable man” who was “definitely suffering” while claiming Huang was unaware of the woman’s intelligence ties. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
When questioned on when he became aware of the allegations, the President responded only that it was “not too long ago.”>
Adding to the executive turmoil, reports emerged that Jensen Huang was also involved in a separate affair with Kimberly Powell, a subordinate at the company. Following these developments, Nvidia confirmed the immediate resignation of its longtime leader.
