"He is going through hell": Trump says Jensen Huang is distressed over impact of controversy on wife, family

US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) said former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was "going through hell" amid the controversy surrounding his alleged extramarital relationships, adding that the former technology executive was particularly distressed over the impact of the developments on his wife and family.

Speaking in an interview with commentator Stephen A Smith, Trump said Huang had personally spoken to him and expressed regret over the situation involving his family.

"I spoke to him yesterday. He's going through hell. What he feels most badly about is his wife and family. That's what he is really, that's what he told me. And in, strongest, he called me as the president. I'm president, and he called me. And he said, what I've done to my wife and family is, that's what he talked about," Trump said.


Trump added that he had always considered Huang a fine person and expressed confidence that the former Nvidia chief would eventually recover from the controversy.

"I know him pretty well. I always thought of him as a fine man," Trump said.

The US President also questioned whether Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman alleged to have links to Chinese intelligence, was actually a spy, saying the matter had yet to be established.

When asked whether Huang should have stepped down from his position, Trump said the woman's alleged intelligence links should have been a key consideration.

"Well, the big thing is, was the woman a spy? And I don't know if that's been determined yet," Trump said.

"But if the woman was a spy, yes. If the woman was not a spy, perhaps it would be different. But I can tell you this: somehow, he'll end up on his feet," he added.

Trump's remarks came after Nvidia announced that its co-founder had stepped down as CEO following 33 years at the helm of the chipmaking giant, which he established in 1993.

The controversy centres partly on Alice Huang, whose alleged links to Chinese intelligence have reportedly drawn attention within the US intelligence community. Jensen Huang had acknowledged having an extramarital relationship, with reports identifying Alice Huang as one of the women involved. The two are not related.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed allegations that Alice Huang was a Chinese spy as "groundless speculation and an attempt to smear and malign China."

Separately, reports have also alleged that Huang had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare, raising questions about potential workplace conflicts of interest.

Trump's latest remarks appeared to differ from his comments on Monday, when he described Alice Huang as a spy and said Jensen Huang had denied knowing about her alleged intelligence links.

"I asked him that question, 'did you have any idea that she was a spy?' He said, 'I had no idea that she was a spy.' And I really believe him," Trump had said.

Meanwhile, Trump reiterated his suggestion that former Apple CEO Tim Cook could take over Nvidia's leadership.

"I think Tim Cook would be a great candidate to run Nvidia," he told Smith.

Earlier, during an interview with Salem News Channel, Trump had described Huang's departure as a "horrible thing" and said it was "so sad to see happen."

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and led its transformation into one of the world's leading suppliers of artificial intelligence chips. The company's board has appointed Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO while it considers a permanent successor.