Jensen Huang Misled Nvidia Leaders About Affair With Suspected Chinese Spy

Former Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang misled several of the company's most senior leaders about his affair with a Chinese businesswoman whom United States intelligence officials suspect of spying for China, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing two people familiar with the matter and internal company correspondence it reviewed. The report came two days after Huang resigned as president, chief executive and board member, ending his 33-year run at the top of the world's most valuable chipmaker. According to Reuters, Huang told general counsel Tim Teter and marketing chief Alison Wagonfeld in October that his dealings with Alice Huang reflected ordinary business with a customer. He has since hired the law firm Paul Weiss, and Nvidia's shares have fallen more than 30 percent from their October peak, wiping out more than $1.8 trillion in market value.

Key Points

• Reuters reported on Saturday, November 14, that Jensen Huang misled Nvidia leaders Teter and Wagonfeld about his relationship with Alice Huang.
• In two October messages, Huang told Nvidia leaders his dealings with Alice Huang were standard customer business, the sources said.
• Huang resigned on Thursday, November 12, after 33 years at Nvidia; chief financial officer Colette Kress is interim chief executive.
• Huang has hired the law firm Paul Weiss, and House chairs want him and Teter interviewed on December 1 and 2.
• Nvidia shares have fallen more than 30 percent since their October 6 closing high, erasing more than $1.8 trillion in market value.

What Happened

Reuters said it reviewed several October exchanges between Huang and Nvidia leaders without quoting them verbatim, and that it is the first news organisation to report on the correspondence. In two separate messages that month, Huang told leaders including Teter and Wagonfeld that his interactions reflected standard business dealings with customers. He gave similar assurances in autumn 2025 and again in October 2026, when press inquiries drew leaders' attention to his relationship with Alice Huang. On both occasions he described the interactions as appropriate, according to the people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Huang also discussed suing the New York Times over its October 2025 article about his public meetings with Alice Huang, but no lawsuit was filed. Teter and Wagonfeld did not respond to requests for comment, and Huang's representative and Nvidia declined to comment.

Background: A 33-Year Reign Ends in Days

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and built it into the company at the centre of the global artificial intelligence boom. In August he committed $105 billion for an OpenAI data centre. The collapse came fast. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported on Huang's relationships with Alice Huang, whom United States officials suspect of spying for China, and on November 10 the board's independent members hired Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to investigate. Huang apologised on Sunday for being unfaithful to his wife and for disappointing the company, without naming Alice Huang. On Thursday, November 12, Nvidia announced Huang had resigned as president, chief executive and board member with immediate effect; the board had accepted his resignation the day before. The company gave no reason for his departure, only thanking him for his "immeasurable contributions". Kress is interim chief executive, and Harvey C. Jones is the board's first-ever chairperson.

Jensen Huang Misled Nvidia Leaders as Scrutiny Grew

It is unclear when Huang's relationship with Alice Huang became intimate, but photos posted online and verified by Reuters show them together in the United States, China and elsewhere, dating as far back as December 2023. The two share a last name but are not related. United States intelligence officials suspect Alice Huang of working for Chinese intelligence. Beijing has denied that she is a spy, and Reuters said it has not independently verified whether she was working on behalf of the Chinese government. According to the two sources, Huang repeatedly presented the relationship to his own leadership team as routine customer business, even after the October 2025 New York Times article. The board's investigation was still under way when Huang resigned two days later.

Reactions and Responses

Hours after resigning, Huang agreed to testify before Congress over his alleged relationship with Alice Huang. House Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast told reporters that Huang agreed to testify before Thanksgiving. Mast, China Select Committee Chair John Moolenaar and Intelligence Committee Chair Rick Crawford sent a joint letter requiring Huang and Teter to appear for closed-door transcribed interviews on December 1 and December 2 respectively, or face subpoenas. President Donald Trump weighed in on the succession on Truth Social, floating Apple chief executive Tim Cook as a replacement: "A Legend replaces a Legend!" Nvidia has not named a successor. Inside the company, more than 1,600 Nvidia employees have demanded Huang's return as chief executive.

Why It Matters

Nvidia is the company at the centre of the artificial intelligence boom, and the scandal now touches every part of that position: corporate governance, national security, export controls and investor confidence. The board hired outside lawyers to investigate its own chief executive, and Congress is demanding sworn testimony from him and the company's top lawyer. The market damage is already historic. Nvidia's stock has fallen more than 30 percent since its October 6 closing high, erasing more than $1.8 trillion in market value and dragging the company's value below $4 trillion for the first time since July 2025. Investors are weighing whether the leadership crisis will slow Huang's spending plans.

What Happens Next

Huang is due to appear for a closed-door transcribed interview on December 1, with Teter scheduled for December 2, and both face subpoenas if they do not appear. Nvidia is due to report third-quarter fiscal 2027 results on Tuesday, November 17, and investors will be listening for Kress's first remarks as interim chief executive. The board's independent investigation continues, and the Justice Department's inquiries into Megaspeed and Nvidia are still open. The search for a permanent chief executive has not been formally announced, and the board has given no timetable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Reuters report about Jensen Huang? Reuters reported on November 14 that Huang misled Nvidia leaders Teter and Wagonfeld about his relationship with Alice Huang, citing two sources and internal October correspondence.

Who is Alice Huang? Alice Huang is a former top executive of Megaspeed International, a Nvidia customer, whom United States officials suspect of spying for China. Beijing denies it. The two are not related.

Has Jensen Huang resigned from Nvidia? Yes. Huang resigned on Thursday, November 12, 2026, as president, chief executive and board member after 33 years. Colette Kress is interim chief executive.

How much value has Nvidia lost? Nvidia's stock has fallen more than 30 percent since its October 6 closing high, erasing more than $1.8 trillion in market value.

More from US News Pulse: Jensen Huang Resigns as Nvidia CEO After Spy Affair Scandal Ends 33-Year Reign and Jensen Huang Agrees to Testify Before Congress in Nvidia China Spy Probe and More Than 1,600 Nvidia Employees Demand Jensen Huang's Return as CEO Now.