Jensen Huang Probe: Nvidia Hires Joon Kim to Lead Inquiry

Joon H. Kim, 55, a former acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan, will lead the independent investigation into reports that Chinese intelligence targeted Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang through an extramarital relationship, the company's independent directors said Tuesday. Huang's reply to three House committee chairs who want a closed-door briefing is due today.

Who is leading the probe

The independent directors hired the New York law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz, where Kim is a litigation partner, to run what they called a "thorough and independent" investigation, the Korea Herald reported. Kim was acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York from March 2017 to January 2018. He also co-led the 2021 independent investigation into sexual harassment allegations against then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who resigned after its findings were released. Born in the U.S. to Korean parents, Kim graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Law School and became a federal prosecutor in Manhattan in 2000.

The board opened the inquiry on Sunday, Nov. 8, saying a committee of independent directors, assisted by outside counsel, would oversee it. In that statement the board said it had "no reason to believe" that national security or Nvidia's secrets were compromised, but that the inquiry would examine all available information. Huang has committed to cooperating and remains CEO.

What has been reported

The New York Times reported on Oct. 29 that U.S. intelligence agencies had concluded that Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen and top executive at the Singapore-based data center company Megaspeed, was feeding information to Beijing, and that she had developed a close relationship with Jensen Huang. The two are not related. According to the Times, as relayed by The Associated Press, Alice Huang was previously a television reporter in China, and Megaspeed has bought more than $4.8 billion worth of Nvidia chips over the past two years, making it one of Nvidia's biggest customers in Southeast Asia.

Jensen Huang acknowledged to the board that he had been intimate with the executive, the Times reported. In a letter to employees obtained by the AP, he said he had been unfaithful to his wife and took "full responsibility." The letter did not name Alice Huang or address her reported ties to Beijing.

Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs said on Oct. 31 that its authorities had never investigated Alice Huang over alleged intelligence connections or her reported relationship with Huang, but that an investigation into Megaspeed was ongoing, according to a summary in technology press reports.

What is not established

No public evidence shows that Huang knowingly passed confidential information to anyone, according to reports that have examined the claim. The intelligence conclusions about Alice Huang come from unnamed U.S. officials cited by the Times. Reports as of Nov. 6 said neither Jensen Huang, Alice Huang nor Megaspeed had been charged. The board's statement is its position at the start of the inquiry, not a finding.

Washington's questions

Three House Republican committee chairs sent Huang a letter dated Nov. 4, made public Nov. 5, asking him to attend a joint closed-door briefing on Nov. 18. Reps. Brian Mast (Foreign Affairs), John Moolenaar (the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party) and Rick Crawford (Intelligence) want to ask about his interactions with Alice Huang and about Nvidia's protections against foreign espionage. They asked him to accept the date or propose another by Nov. 11. The request is voluntary, not a subpoena.

Nvidia's chips have been a focus of U.S. export restrictions meant to limit China's access to advanced AI hardware, which is why the personal story has become a security one. Huang sits on President Donald Trump's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Trump said Sunday he had not spoken to Huang about the news and praised his work; asked about intelligence he had been briefed on, he again praised Huang, and said he would be open to taking him on next week's Asia trip. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to comment, calling it an internal corporate matter.

What comes next

The board said it would provide further updates as appropriate; the announcements did not give a timeline for Kim's review. Huang's answer to the House chairs is due today. The briefing they want is Nov. 18.