The Jensen Huang scandal is the biggest tech story of the week. The founder and CEO of Nvidia, the world's most valuable public company, admitted to an affair with a woman US intelligence officials suspect of working for China. The board opened an investigation, the stock lost hundreds of billions of dollars in value and Congress is demanding answers. Here is everything known so far.
What happened? The timeline
In October, The New York Times reported a close relationship between Huang and Alice Huang (Huang Le), who is not related to him. On November 8, Huang sent employees a letter: 'I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did.' The same day, the board announced an independent investigation. On November 9, Nvidia stock fell 4.3%, wiping nearly $200 billion off its market value. On November 10, the affair reached Congress.
Who is Alice Huang?
According to reports, Alice Huang founded Megaspeed in 2023, a Singapore cloud company that was one of Nvidia's large customers in Southeast Asia, and held a senior role there. According to NBC, US intelligence officials concluded she is a Chinese intelligence asset. Neither she nor Megaspeed has been charged with any crime.
What does Megaspeed have to do with Nvidia chips?
US Commerce Department investigators suspected Megaspeed diverted advanced Nvidia AI chips to China in violation of export controls. According to The New York Times, trade records show the company received at least $4.8 billion of AI equipment containing Nvidia technology between June 2024 and February 2026. Megaspeed denies it, and Nvidia says earlier reviews found no violations and that all processors were accounted for.
The investigation that was halted
The most troubling detail: according to The New York Times, the Commerce Department halted its Megaspeed investigation after Nvidia's general counsel contacted the investigators, and the case moved to the Justice Department, where a criminal investigation is under way. Nvidia said such contacts are 'not unusual.' This is where the affair moves from private life to a question of corporate accountability.
What is Washington saying?
Three House committee chairs, Brian Mast, John Moolenaar and Rick Crawford, asked Huang for a closed-door briefing on November 18 and a reply by November 11. Mast told ABC he is prepared to issue a subpoena. According to ANI, Republican Senator Kevin Cramer called on Huang to resign, and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer attacked President Trump for defending him. Trump called Huang 'an honorable guy' and said Huang denied knowing the woman was a spy. As of publication, Nvidia declined to say whether Huang will appear.
What did the board do?
The board appointed a committee of independent directors with outside counsel and said it has 'no reason to believe' national security or company secrets were compromised, expressing confidence in Huang. Meanwhile, a class action was filed in federal court in San Jose, alleging the company failed to disclose information about the relationship to shareholders.
What happens next?
Two dates will decide next week: on November 17 Nvidia reports quarterly results, and on November 18 the congressional briefing is scheduled. Most analysts do not expect Huang to leave, but any new finding from the investigations, internal or federal, could change the picture. This article will be updated with every development.
