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Science & tech United States · China · Singapore

Nvidia chief and the China spying allegations

Nvidia's board has hired former acting US Attorney Joon Kim to lead an independent inquiry into reports that CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by Chinese intelligence. Trump says the FBI is looking into the allegations and backs Huang, China calls the spy claims a smear, and no one has been charged.

Confidence: medium. The board inquiry, Huang's memo, the hiring of Joon Kim, China's denial and the House chairs' letter are documented by the company, officials and several outlets. The central allegation, that US intelligence concluded the former Megaspeed executive passed information to Beijing, rests on unnamed officials cited by The New York Times and one person who spoke to NBC News; no evidence has been made public, no one has been charged, China and Megaspeed deny wrongdoing, and the Commerce memo is reported only by Axios. · Updated 11 Nov 2026, 2pm ET

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Why it matters: Nvidia, which AFP describes as the world's most valuable company, makes the advanced AI chips the US restricts from sale to China, so a reported Chinese intelligence effort aimed at its chief executive has drawn congressional and federal scrutiny. source

What's happening

On Oct 29 The New York Times, citing unnamed people briefed on classified surveillance, reported that US intelligence officials had concluded that a Chinese businesswoman who was a senior executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data-centre company and Nvidia customer, was passing information to Beijing and had built a close relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang; the Times said officials did not believe Huang knew she might be gathering information for China (as summarized by TNW). The Times also reported that the US government has examined Megaspeed since 2024 over whether it steered restricted Nvidia chips to China (as relayed by AFP). Huang has said his dealings with her were normal business and that Nvidia reviewed Megaspeed's operations and accounted for all of its chips, finding none shipped illegally to China; Megaspeed has called earlier reporting on it misleading and hired outside lawyers. On Nov 8 the board opened an independent investigation, saying it had no reason to believe national security or company secrets were compromised. China's foreign ministry calls the spy allegation groundless, and Singapore's Home Affairs Ministry said its officials neither raised such concerns nor investigated her on that basis. Trump has defended Huang and said the FBI is looking into the matter; the Justice Department declined to comment. The intelligence findings have not been made public, and neither the executive nor Megaspeed has been charged.

What changed recently

Key figures

3 (China select committee, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence)House committees whose Republican chairs asked Huang for a joint closed-door briefing on Nov 18The chairs' letter, as reported by The Next Web and Taiwan News · 2026-11-07 · source
2024Year the US government began examining Megaspeed over whether it steered Nvidia chips to ChinaThe New York Times, as relayed by AFP · 2026-11-09 · source

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