Trump, Elon Musk and Bill Ackman back Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang after affair admission amid Chinese spy probe

US President Donald Trump, billionaire investor Bill Ackman and Tesla CEO Elon Musk have voiced support for Nvidia chief Jensen Huang after he admitted to being unfaithful to his wife, as the chipmaker investigates whether he was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. While Trump described Huang as an honourable person, Ackman and Musk backed calls to support the CEO, whose reported relationship with a Chinese businesswoman has raised national security concerns.

What did Trump, Bill Ackman and Elon Musk say about Jensen Huang?

Trump said he had not spoken to Huang about the matter but described him as a fine person and said he hoped everything was alright. He added that he considered the Nvidia chief an honourable person.

Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, said Huang should not receive a free pass if the matter extended beyond a personal affair and involved a national security risk. He said he liked Huang, acknowledged his contribution to the world and expressed hope that the damage would be limited to a personal matter rather than a threat to national security.


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Ackman had also separately described Huang as an exceptional person who had made a mistake. He said the Nvidia CEO had taken responsibility and urged people to support him and his family.

Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire also defended Huang, describing him as one of the most significant entrepreneurs of his generation. Maguire acknowledged that Huang had made a serious mistake and said the episode was bad for the US, but suggested there was probably no malicious intention behind his actions.

Maguire also argued that Huang was irreplaceable for America's AI leadership. Musk responded to his post with two words: "I agree."

What did Jensen Huang admit about his personal life?

Huang acknowledged in a message to Nvidia employees that he had been unfaithful to his wife, Lori, and apologised to her, their children and company staff. The 63-year-old CEO said he took full responsibility for his actions and accepted that he had fallen short of the responsibility that came with leading the company.

He said his position at Nvidia was a privilege and that he had failed to live up to the trust placed in him. Huang has been married to Lori for 41 years.

His message did not publicly identify the woman involved in the reported relationship.

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Why is Nvidia investigating its CEO?

The admission came amid reports that Huang had developed a close relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen who is not related to him. As per reports, US intelligence officials believed she had passed information to Beijing.

Alice Huang reportedly worked as a television journalist in China before moving into the technology industry. She later joined Singapore-based data centre operator Megaspeed, where she held a senior executive position. The company has reportedly been a major Nvidia customer.

Following the reports, Nvidia's board announced an investigation into whether its CEO had been the target of a foreign intelligence effort.

The company has said it has no reason to believe that its confidential information or US national security was compromised. Huang has expressed support for the investigation and said he would cooperate fully.

The inquiry has brought scrutiny to the leadership of the world's most valuable chipmaker, given Nvidia's central role in the global artificial intelligence industry.