Trump Asked Nvidia CEO About Alleged Spy as Shares Lost $250bn
US President Donald Trump said he asked Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang whether he knew Alice Huang was a spy, and believes his answer. Trump said the FBI is looking into the affair, which wiped about $250bn off Nvidia's market value.
US President Donald Trump said he asked Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang whether he knew a Chinese businesswoman he had an affair with was a spy, and that he believes Huang's denial. Trump also said the FBI is looking into the matter.
"I asked him that question, 'Did you have any idea she was a spy?' He said 'I had no idea she was a spy' and I really believe him," Trump told reporters. He said he spoke to Huang by phone to see how he was doing.
Shares fall more than 4%
The revelations knocked about $250bn (£190bn) off Nvidia's value as its share price dropped by more than 4%. Nvidia is the world's second most valuable company after Apple. It designs computer chips that have become central to AI technology.
Huang and Nvidia were also sued in a proposed class action in California. The suit accuses them of defrauding shareholders by hiding his ties with the suspected spy. The lawsuit alleges the company lied to the media about the relationship.
What is alleged
US intelligence officials believe Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, was a spy for Beijing, according to press reports. She is not related to Jensen Huang. Her whereabouts are unknown.
She was managing director of Singapore-based Megaspeed, a firm that has dealt with Nvidia. Megaspeed is under investigation by the Singapore government over earlier allegations that it circumvented US sanctions on exports of Nvidia's high-end chips.
Jensen Huang has admitted being "unfaithful" to his wife and apologized for hurting her and their children. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly oversaw a memo last spring warning the administration about the relationship. Rubio declined to comment.
Responses
Trump called Huang an "honourable guy" and said he was confident Huang would "be in good shape" after the investigations. Pressed several times on when he learned of the relationship, he said only that he was informed "over a period of time."
The FBI declined to comment. Nvidia has commissioned an independent investigation and said it has no reason to believe its secrets or US national security were compromised. A spokesperson said: "We trust that if we were the target of a genuine threat, the US government would have notified us."
China's foreign ministry rejected the claims. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun called them "entirely groundless, speculative and intended to smear and malign China."
Washington treats chip exports to China as a national security issue, which is why the affair has drawn wide concern. Trump said he is "sure" Chinese leader Xi Jinping will "ask me about it" when they next meet.
