Trump Calls Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang 'Fine Person' Amid Reported China Spy Claims

US President Donald Trump defended Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang on Monday, 9 November, as the company investigated reports of a possible Chinese intelligence operation.

Trump said he believed Huang had not known a Chinese businesswoman linked to him was allegedly gathering information for Beijing.

The president's comments followed Huang's admission of infidelity in an email to employees on Sunday, 8 November.

Huang apologised to his family but did not identify the woman involved. Reports have linked him to Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman unrelated to him.

Trump had described the Nvidia founder as a 'fine person' and an 'honourable guy' on Sunday, saying he had not discussed the allegations with him. He praised Huang for doing 'an amazing job for our country'.

Donald Trump Says He Believes Jensen Huang's Denial

By Monday, Trump said he had spoken directly to Huang and asked whether he knew the woman was allegedly a spy. According to Trump, Huang replied, 'I had no idea that she was a spy.' The president added, 'I really believe him.'

Trump also said the FBI was looking into the matter, without providing details of its investigation. His comments did not establish that the woman was an intelligence operative or that Huang had been aware of any suspected activity.

The New York Times previously reported that Trump had received an intelligence briefing about the concerns roughly a year earlier.

Nvidia's board announced an independent investigation on 8 November, overseen by independent directors and outside counsel. It said it had no reason to believe US national security or Nvidia's secrets had been compromised. Huang has pledged to co-operate, and the board has expressed confidence in his leadership.

Why Jensen Huang's Nvidia Inquiry Matters to Donald Trump

The New York Times reported that US intelligence officials believed Alice Huang had supplied information to Beijing.

The assessment has not been made public, and China has rejected the allegations. There is no publicly established evidence that Jensen Huang knowingly assisted an intelligence operation.

Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, previously served as managing director of Singapore-based Megaspeed International, an Nvidia customer. US authorities have scrutinised Megaspeed over suspicions that it helped Chinese customers obtain advanced AI chips subject to export restrictions. No export-control violation has been established by the reporting cited.

Three senior Republican House committee chairs have requested a closed-door briefing from Huang on 18 November. Their questions concern the allegations and Nvidia's safeguards against foreign espionage.

The uncertainty matters because Nvidia supplies processors central to the global AI industry. Huang has led the company since co-founding it in 1993, and analysts have identified no clear successor.

Nvidia shares closed at $178.67 on Monday, down 4.27 per cent from Friday's $186.64 close. Its market value stood near $4.31 trillion (£3.21 trillion, €3.84 trillion). The decline cannot, on its own, be attributed to the allegations.

Huang also advises Trump on technology policy. The president appointed him to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in March.

Trump previously announced plans to permit limited sales of certain advanced Nvidia processors to approved Chinese customers, subject to export controls.

The board has not announced when its investigation will conclude. Its findings could help establish whether any intelligence activity occurred and whether sensitive information was obtained.