U.S. President Donald Trump stated on November 9, 2026, that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is looking into an affair between Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang and an alleged Chinese spy, according to a report by BBC News.
President Trump told reporters at the White House that he spoke directly with Huang on November 9 following reports detailing a Chinese espionage campaign targeting the semiconductor executive. Trump noted he asked Huang whether he knew the individual was a spy, to which Huang replied he had no idea. Trump expressed confidence in Huang, calling him an "honorable guy" who is "suffering greatly." The FBI declined to comment to BBC News regarding the status or timeline of any probe.
According to report details originally published by The New York Times and cited by BBC News, U.S. intelligence officials identified the individual as Alice Huang (also known as Huang Le), managing director of Singapore-based firm Megaspeed, which has conducted business dealings with Nvidia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly issued a memo to senior U.S. officials in spring 2026 warning of Huang's close relationship with a Chinese intelligence asset.
Nvidia confirmed it has commissioned an independent investigation into the matter. The semiconductor company stated it has no reason to believe that corporate secrets or U.S. national security have been compromised. Huang publicly acknowledged being "unfaithful" to his wife and offered an apology to his family, adding on November 9 that he is committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting U.S. national security while cooperating with the internal probe.
China's foreign ministry rejected the espionage allegations, describing them as groundless speculation aimed at smearing China.
The news severely impacted Nvidia's stock during trading on November 9, 2026, causing shares to fall by approximately 4% and erasing around $250 billion in market capitalization. Additionally, congressional committee chairmen have requested Huang's appearance at a joint closed-door briefing scheduled for next week to examine Nvidia's security protocols and interactions with foreign intelligence assets.
