Nvidia's Spy Affair Scandal Now Threatens To Expose What Trump Knew About $26M in Company Donations

Two senior Democrats are demanding answers over whether Donald Trump approved Nvidia chip sales to China despite reportedly knowing of Jensen Huang's relationship with a suspected Chinese spy, after at least $26 million (£19.5 million) from Nvidia and Huang went towards his projects.

The letter was published the same day Nvidia announced Huang's resignation, following his admission of infidelity and reports that the woman involved was suspected by US officials of spying for China.

'The Scheme Worked Like This'

Rep. Richard Neal, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, and Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, wrote to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, TechCrunch reported.

The letter says the export deal was approved after Trump learned of 'Mr. Huang's compromised position', and after Huang and Nvidia directed at least $26 million (£19.5 million) towards Trump's projects, including the White House ballroom. It appears to ask whether Trump used that knowledge to secure donations, though no exchange of favours has been established.

'The scheme worked like this,' the lawmakers wrote. According to the letter, Trump agreed to sales of Nvidia's H200 chips to China on condition that the chips, made in Taiwan, were first shipped to the US. He then imposed a tariff, which the lawmakers call 'an unconstitutional export tax system', before Commerce issued an export licence.

The letter also questions why Lutnick allowed Megaspeed to keep buying chips after US intelligence reportedly briefed him about Huang's relationship with one of its executives. It says Commerce approved other Asian buyers with 'no physical presence at their listed addresses', and asks the department to preserve records.

As minority members, Neal and Wyden can ask questions but cannot compel answers until Democrats take control in January.

The Affair

Huang acknowledged in a message to staff that he had been unfaithful to his wife, after reports linked him to Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed International, AI Business reported. US authorities reportedly suspected her of working for China, according to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Those allegations have not been independently established. TechCrunch has also reported separate allegations that Huang had other affairs, including with Nvidia employees.

US officials suspect Megaspeed of routing advanced Nvidia chips into China, TechCrunch reported. Singapore authorities have said their own investigation into Megaspeed is ongoing.

Huang Out

Nvidia's board launched an independent investigation on 8 November, saying it had no reason to believe US national security or the company's proprietary information had been compromised. On 12 November, Nvidia announced that Huang had resigned as president, chief executive and board member, effective immediately.

A securities filing shows the board accepted his resignation on 11 November. Chief financial officer Colette Kress becomes interim CEO while keeping her finance role, and the board will consider internal and external candidates for the permanent job.

Huang has also agreed to testify before Republican-led House committees, including the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Intelligence Committee, after they threatened a subpoena, TechCrunch reported.

Nvidia's China sales were already politically fraught. In August 2025, Nvidia and AMD agreed to give the US government 15 per cent of revenue from licensed sales of their H20 and MI308 chips to China, the AP reported at the time. That deal was separate from the H200 arrangement in the Democrats' letter.