Jensen Huang’s one-man rule over Nvidia could be its downfall

Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, is currently embroiled in an affair that has sparked concerns about its implications for US-China relations. China hawks in Washington have suggested that Huang may have been targeted by Chinese intelligence, despite Beijing's denials. This allegation risks intensifying Washington's tech blockade on China following a Democratic midterm victory.

The businesswoman at the center of the affair, Alice Huang, is also under scrutiny. Chinese experts warn that she may have been recruited to gather information on the chip giant, a claim that Beijing firmly denies. This scandal could test the fragile US-China truce, as calls grow in Washington to tighten semiconductor export controls just days before US President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Shenzhen.

The fallout from the scandal may also affect South Korea's chip industry, potentially delaying data center roll-outs and accelerating White House restrictions on Korean chip giants. Furthermore, Megaspeed, a Singapore firm previously led by Alice Huang, is being investigated for allegedly helping Chinese firms circumvent US chip export restrictions.

While Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's attendance at the upcoming APEC summit is in doubt due to a foreign intelligence investigation, Chinese GPU traders are shrugging off the impact of the scandal. Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs) are falling in price in China's largest electronics market, as traders dismiss speculation over tightening export controls sparked by the affair.

Despite the controversy, US President Donald Trump has backed Huang, stating that he did not believe the woman at the center of espionage allegations was a suspected Chinese spy. However, growing bipartisan pressure is mounting in the US Congress, with lawmakers from both parties demanding to know whether US national security was compromised.