Trump says FBI is investigating Nvidia chief's relationship with alleged Chinese spy

US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the relationship between Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang and a woman alleged to be a Chinese intelligence agent. Nvidia makes the microchips that underpin AI development worldwide, so the affair touches both the company and the US-China rivalry in the field.

According to Trump, he phoned Huang on Monday and asked whether he had known the woman was a spy. Trump said Huang replied that he had not, and that he believes him. The president gave no details of the probe or when it began. The FBI declined to comment when contacted by the BBC.

What the reports say

US intelligence officials believe Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, was a spy for Beijing, the New York Times reported. The paper said Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a memo to senior Washington officials last spring warning that the Nvidia boss was in a close relationship with a Chinese spy. Alice Huang was managing director of Singapore-based Megaspeed, a company that has had dealings with Nvidia.

China's foreign ministry has rejected the claims, calling them entirely groundless and speculative, and saying they were intended to smear China. Nvidia has commissioned an independent investigation and said it has no reason to believe company secrets or national security were compromised. As the reports emerged, Nvidia's share price fell by about 4% in Monday trading, wiping roughly $250bn off its value.

Huang and Congress

Huang has admitted he was unfaithful to his wife and apologised to her and their children. On Monday he said he was committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting US national security, and would cooperate with the investigation. Chairmen of several congressional committees have asked him to attend a joint closed-door briefing next week on Nvidia's security protocols against foreign espionage. It is unclear whether he will appear.

Trump also said he considers Huang an honorable man and hopes he will not face problems. Asked repeatedly when he learned of the relationship, the president said only that he was informed "over a period of time".