Three years ago today, Alice Huang stepped down as Megaspeed director: What happened next and Why Jensen Huang faces scrutiny

Alice Huang resigned from the board of Singapore-based data center company Megaspeed International three years ago, but questions about her role at the company and her reported relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have now become part of a wider national security controversy.

The case has drawn attention to Nvidia's business dealings with Megaspeed, US investigations into suspected transfers of restricted chip technology to China and Jensen Huang's efforts to keep the Chinese market open to American technology companies.

US intelligence officials reportedly assessed that Alice Huang had been recruited by China's Ministry of State Security to target the Nvidia chief. Those claims have not been publicly proven. There is also no public evidence that Jensen knew about her alleged intelligence connections or that she influenced his decisions on China.

Alice Huang remained linked to Megaspeed after leaving its board

Alice Huang, who is also known as Huang Le became managing director of Megaspeed in March 2023, when the company changed its name from 7Road International. She had resigned as a director on November 10, 2023, as per corporate records cited by Wall Street Journal.

Her departure from the board didn't appear to end her involvement with the business. The Journal reported that she continued acting as a company leader and introduced herself to a business partner as Megaspeed's CEO as of August 2025.

Megaspeed joined Nvidia's partnership program in November 2023. Alice represented the company at an Nvidia event in California in early 2024, where she met Jensen Huang, according to people familiar with the matter cited by the Journal. The exact timing of their first meeting and the beginning of their relationship are not certain.

The two also appeared in LinkedIn photographs with technology executives around the Computex event in Taipei in June 2024.

Their interactions later attracted attention after footage from a dinner in Taipei on May 22, 2025, showed Alice kissing Jensen on the cheek as he put an arm around her. She was also seen running her fingers down his lower back. The two later left in the same car, according to footage from Taiwanese broadcaster CTI distributed by AFP and reported by Channel News Asia.

US investigators examined Megaspeed's Nvidia equipment purchases

Megaspeed had come under US scrutiny before details of the relationship became public.

The New York Times reported that the Commerce Department began investigating the company in late 2024 over suspicions that it had helped China obtain restricted Nvidia technology. During a visit to a Megaspeed data center in Malaysia, a Commerce Department official found Nvidia equipment still boxed, raising questions about whether it had been installed.

The investigation also focused on purchases by a Megaspeed sister company in Malaysia. Trade records showed that the company bought at least $4.8 billion in equipment containing Nvidia chips and technology between June 2024 and February 2026.

US agencies electronically surveilled Alice and obtained communications involving an American citizen later identified as Jensen Huang, the Times reported. Officials who reviewed the intelligence believed the relationship was romantic. Jensen did not receive a defensive briefing warning him that he could be a target of foreign intelligence.

Nvidia's contact with investigators preceded a criminal inquiry

In August 2025, Nvidia general counsel Tim Teter contacted Commerce Department investigators. According to the Times, Teter told them that Jeffrey Kessler, the department's Under Secretary for Industry and Security, had given Nvidia permission to contact bureau employees.

Some investigators were concerned because Nvidia had not been ruled out as a subject of the inquiry. Kessler later instructed officials to handle the matter strictly by the book and did not order them to share information with Nvidia.

After the outreach was discussed with partner law enforcement agencies, the Justice Department asked Commerce to pause its work. The investigation was transferred to the Justice Department, which began a criminal inquiry into Megaspeed.

Nvidia spokesperson John Rizzo said the company consults with government officials to answer questions, provide information and seek guidance.

China policy an intelligence allegations add pressure

Jensen's efforts to preserve access to China also became part of the scrutiny. He had rarely visited Washington and largely stayed out of politics before 2025, but began lobbying more actively as the Trump administration considered tighter restrictions on chip sales.

He argued that limiting US technology exports could encourage Chinese companies such as Huawei to develop alternatives. He and his wife, Lori, visited Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort while the administration weighed restrictions.

Trump later allowed Nvidia to sell H200 chips to approved Chinese customers, with 25% of the proceeds going to the US government. Huang continued pushing for access to more advanced chips. Trump considered allowing Blackwell sales before backing away.

A classified memo circulated among senior Trump administration policymakers in spring 2026 alleged that Alice had been recruited by China's Ministry of State Security to target Jensen. Secretary of State Marco Rubio oversaw the memo's drafting. Officials assessed that the alleged effort was intended to gather information about Jensen and US AI technology and potentially influence Nvidia's position on access to advanced chips.

At the Milken Institute conference in May 2026, Jensen said China should not receive Nvidia's most advanced Blackwell and Rubin chips. He argued that the US should have "the first, the most and the best."

In a Bloomberg interview released on October 30, he defended Nvidia's dealings with Megaspeed, describing its interactions with Alice as "all completely normal and not unusual." He also said the US had made a mistake by restricting engagement with China.

China rejected the espionage allegations on November 9. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun described them as unsubstantiated and smears.

Nvidia board launches inquiry as Congress seeks answers

On November 8, Jensen acknowledged in an email to Nvidia employees that he had been unfaithful to his wife. "My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry," he wrote. He did not identify the person involved.

Nvidia's board announced an independent investigation into reports that its CEO had been "the target of a foreign intelligence effort." An independent director committee, supported by outside counsel, will examine the available information. The board said it had no reason to believe national security or Nvidia secrets had been compromised, but would review all available information. Jensen remains CEO during the inquiry.

House committee chairs Brian Mast, John Moolenaar and Rick Crawford have requested a closed-door briefing with Jensen on November 18. They want details about his interactions with Alice and Nvidia's safeguards against foreign intelligence efforts. They asked him to accept the date or propose an alternative by November 11.

US president Donald Trump said on Monday that he had spoken with Jensen and asked whether he knew Alice was a spy. According to Trump, Jensen replied, "I had no idea that she was a spy," as quoted by Newsweek. Trump said he believed him and added that the FBI was also looking into the matter.