President Trump said the FBI is investigating Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang after Huang acknowledged an affair with Alice Huang, a woman accused of being a Chinese spy.
The president said he spoke with Huang on Monday to check on the AI executive. Huang reportedly told Trump that he did not know his mistress—who is not related to him—was allegedly acting as a Beijing honeypot.
“I know the FBI is looking into it,” Trump said.
Trump added that he believed Huang “will be in good shape” and voiced confidence that the investigation would not uncover criminal wrongdoing.
Huang, 63, is also facing calls to testify before Congress.
The chairmen of the House committees on China, foreign affairs and intelligence have asked the Nvidia chief to attend a joint, closed-door briefing on Nov. 18.
“Recent reports raise significant national security concerns regarding the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China] access to sensitive U.S. technology and information,” Reps. Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; John Moolenaar, chairman of the committee focused on the Chinese Communist Party; and Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford wrote.
The lawmakers said Congress must determine “the extent to which U.S. national security has been placed at risk,” including the adequacy of Huang’s “security protocols against foreign adversary espionage” and his interactions with Alice Huang.
Nvidia is also conducting an internal investigation after its CEO told employees that he had been unfaithful to his wife of more than 40 years with Alice Huang, an executive at Megaspeed International. The Singapore-based company has faced allegations that it illicitly shipped advanced Nvidia computer chips to China.
A confidential U.S. State Department memo reportedly concluded months ago, based on video surveillance, that Alice Huang was spying for China. Beijing has denied that she worked on its behalf.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Monday that “the so-called Chinese spy allegation is unsubstantiated. It is nothing but a smear against China.”
Trump has repeatedly defended Huang, one of his closest Silicon Valley allies. On Monday, he said he was “amazed” by the CEO’s admission because he considers him “a very high quality person.”
However, The New York Times reported that Trump had been briefed on Huang’s relationship with the alleged honeypot and warned that she was providing information to the Chinese government, but decided not to intervene.
Trump declined to say when he learned that Huang was involved with the suspected Beijing operative. He said, however, that he was unaware of the affair when Huang accompanied him to China in May alongside other technology executives.
“No, I didn’t hear about it then,” the president said.
Huang’s close relationship with Trump has coincided with several favorable policy developments for Nvidia, widely regarded as the world’s most valuable chipmaker.
Huang has lobbied the U.S. government to allow Nvidia to sell its advanced graphics processing units (GPUs) in China.
He donated $25 million toward construction of Trump’s massive ballroom, and a source close to the two men told The Post that they “have become good friends.”
Another source said Huang would boast about his close relationship with the president, 80.
“And Jensen has repeatedly lied about his relationship with Ms. Huang,” the source said.
The leather-jacketed CEO was appointed by Trump earlier this year to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. In October, Trump awarded him the nation’s highest honor for scientific achievement.
Huang has also appeared with Trump and world leaders at Mar-a-Lago and other high-profile events.
