From affair allegations to Nvidia probe: How the Jensen Huang controversy unfolded

Nvidia shares declined during off-hours trading on November 9 following an internal inquiry into whether CEO Jensen Huang had been targeted by foreign intelligence, potentially jeopardizing the AI chipmaker's future. The probe stemmed from a media report alleging Huang had a close connection with a Chinese businesswoman suspected of leaking information to Beijing.

Huang disclosed to his employees that he had been unfaithful to his wife, though he did not specify the nature of the relationship. The investigation, announced on November 8, has drawn attention to Huang's position as the most successful salesperson of the AI boom and the leader of the world's most valuable chipmaker. Huang's daughter, Madison, also withdrew a planned visit to Seoul for a Nvidia conference on the same day.

Stock prices on the Hyperliquid exchange and the Blue Ocean system fell to around US$180.30 (S$231) per share, a 3.4% decline from Nvidia's closing price of US$186.64 on November 6. Analysts noted that the market may have negatively impacted the stock amid speculation about data center expansion. Chris Weston, head of research at brokerage Pepperstone, stated that he did not anticipate Huang's replacement, describing him as the "godfather of AI." However, if the CEO were to step down, the stock would likely suffer a significant decline.

In October, The New York Times reported that Huang had a relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based company Megaspeed, who was investigated by US authorities as a Chinese intelligence asset. However, Megaspeed and Alice Huang did not comment on the New York Times report. Shares in Nvidia's key Asian chip suppliers, TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and SK Hynix, rebounded on November 9 after last week's sell-off of AI-related stocks, with TSMC shares increasing by 6.5%, while Samsung and SK Hynix rose by 2.9% and 4.7%, respectively.

Reactions to Huang's admission varied among prominent figures. Bill Ackman, a billionaire investor, called Huang an "incredible human," hoping the situation was simply an affair, not a threat to national security. Tesla CEO Elon Musk agreed, stating Huang's actions were "incredibly dumb" but irreplaceable for America's AI leadership.

US President Donald Trump expressed hope for Nvidia CEO's well-being, acknowledging his significant contributions to the industry. Trump also claimed he had been briefed on the intelligence findings a year prior and did not take any action.

Nvidia's plans for an AI Day Seoul, a two-day event to discuss physical AI, agentic AI, and infrastructure, were unaffected by the ongoing investigation, with the event proceeding as scheduled. Analysts warned that a prolonged investigation could delay Nvidia's investment decisions or product launches, potentially affecting the semiconductor industry.

Ryu Young-ho, a senior analyst at NH Investment & Securities, suggested that Nvidia rivals, such as Advanced Micro Devices, might gain more attention in the short term, possibly drawing focus to Samsung, which has close business ties with AMD. Despite potential delays in shipments to China, analysts believed Nvidia's products would be difficult to replace, limiting the impact of the situation.