Ex-Nvidia CEO Huang Allegedly Misled Executives on Alice Huang Ties
Former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang allegedly told the company's general counsel and chief marketing officer that his contacts with a businesswoman under U.S. investigation were routine customer dealings. Nvidia shares fell again, and Huang faces congressional interviews on December 1 and a Senate hearing request for December 3.
Former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang allegedly misled senior company executives about his relationship with Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang, who has been investigated by U.S. authorities over suspected spying for China, according to people familiar with the matter. The claim emerged Friday as Nvidia stock fell again.
Huang repeatedly described his interactions with Alice Huang as routine business dealings. In October he sent two separate messages, to General Counsel Tim Teter and Chief Marketing Officer Alison Wagonfeld, calling them standard dealings with customers.
Nvidia shares dropped more than 2% in regular trading. They slid more than 1% further in after-hours trading.
Legal threat and public support
Huang also discussed taking legal action against The New York Times, the report said. The newspaper ran an article in October 2025 drawing attention to his public meetings with Alice Huang. The two are not related.
Elon Musk, Fundstrat's Tom Lee and Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke have signed a petition urging Nvidia to reinstate Huang. Other signatories include current and former Nvidia employees.
Resignation and investigation
Huang quit on Thursday as CEO, president and board member, effective immediately. He had been Nvidia's public face since 1993. On Sunday he apologized for being "unfaithful" to his wife, without naming Alice Huang.
Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress is interim CEO while the company looks for a successor. Reports also say Huang had relationships with two Nvidia employees.
On November 10, Nvidia's independent board members hired the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to run an independent investigation. Nvidia has lost $550 billion in market value in five days.
Alice Huang is a former senior executive at Megaspeed International, a Nvidia customer. China has rejected the spying allegation as a smear. U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department has reached no conclusions on whether she spied for Beijing.
Congress steps in
Three House committees, covering intelligence, foreign affairs and China, have summoned Huang for a closed-door interview on December 1. Senator Tim Scott has asked him to testify voluntarily before the Senate Banking Committee on December 3. Scott warned the panel could issue a subpoena.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has also been summoned to the Banking Committee in December. Administration officials have told U.S. media he stalled efforts to tighten export curbs on advanced AI chips bound for China. A Commerce Department spokesperson said Lutnick had "proactively" agreed to appear.
One current Nvidia employee said that staff largely brushed off the first reports. Reaction shifted once the second alleged affair surfaced, the person said, and workers began to feel "this is crazy."
Nvidia officials have declined to comment. Scott framed the hearing around national security. "The American people deserve answers," he said.
