The Justice Department is investigating whether entities linked to Alice Huang, the former Megaspeed executive US officials suspect of working for Chinese intelligence, helped smuggle Super Micro Computer products to China, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. The previously unreported probe opens a second front in a scandal that has already cost Nvidia its chief executive.

The inquiry is led by the US Attorney’s office in Manhattan, and it is not yet clear whether it is tied to cases already brought. It is separate from the existing probe into Megaspeed over suspected smuggling of advanced Nvidia chips to China. Two administration officials also said the department has opened an antitrust investigation into Nvidia, with no criminal charges indicated against the company or Jensen Huang.

Key Points

• The Justice Department is probing whether entities linked to Alice Huang, 49, helped smuggle Super Micro products to China (Bloomberg, Thu Nov 12).
• The inquiry is led by the Manhattan US Attorney’s office, and it is unclear whether it is tied to chip-smuggling cases already brought.
• In March, prosecutors charged Super Micro co-founder Wally Liaw and two others over an alleged plan to send Nvidia-powered servers to a Southeast Asian firm and divert them to China. Super Micro was not charged; it says it is cooperating.
• Separately, the department has opened an antitrust investigation into Nvidia, with no criminal charges against Nvidia or Jensen Huang indicated.
• Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department has not yet decided whether Alice Huang acted as a spy. Super Micro fell 12 percent on Thursday; Nvidia closed down 6.5 percent at $162.31.

What Happened

Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing a person familiar with the matter, that Manhattan prosecutors are examining whether entities linked to Huang helped move Super Micro products to China in breach of US export controls. It did not say which entities are under scrutiny, what products were involved, or when the alleged smuggling took place.

Huang, 49, is a former Megaspeed executive now living in Beijing. Jensen Huang is not a target of the probes, and the antitrust investigation carries no suggestion of criminal charges against him or Nvidia. Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Thursday that the department has not yet reached a conclusion on whether Alice Huang acted as a spy.

Background and Context

The scandal broke this week when Jensen Huang resigned on Thursday, November 12, after 33 years as Nvidia’s president, chief executive and board member, following reports of an affair with Alice Huang. The board opened an independent inquiry on Sunday, November 8; chief financial officer Colette Kress is interim chief executive. Read our report on Jensen Huang’s resignation after 33 years at Nvidia.

Megaspeed, founded in 2015 as the Chinese video-game developer 7Road International, is now one of Asia’s largest buyers of Nvidia chips. US authorities suspect it helped divert about $7.5 billion in advanced chips to China. Megaspeed denies wrongdoing. Congress is moving fast: Huang briefs lawmakers November 18, Nvidia reports earnings November 17, and Senators Warren and Coons want written confirmation by November 17 that export records are preserved. Read our report on the Warren and Coons preservation demand. The Justice Department is now running three probes touching Nvidia, one on antitrust grounds, and Senator Jack Reed said Congress should assess whether the chipmaker is “too big to fail”. Read our report on Senator Reed’s “too big to fail” warning.

The Super Micro Smuggling Probe

Super Micro is one of the world’s largest makers of server systems for advanced AI chips. The most powerful Nvidia chips cannot legally be sold to China, so investigators focus on the middlemen and routes that may have carried them to Chinese customers.

The March case shows the pattern. Prosecutors alleged Liaw and two others conspired to send Nvidia-powered servers to an unnamed Southeast Asian company, knowing they would be diverted to China. Super Micro was not charged and says it is cooperating. The new inquiry asks whether Huang-linked entities played a similar role with Super Micro products; Bloomberg’s source did not say whether it connects to the March charges or the Megaspeed probe, and no charges have been announced. Super Micro fell 12 percent on Thursday; Nvidia closed down 6.5 percent at $162.31.

Reactions and Quotes

Attorney General Todd Blanche was careful not to prejudge the central allegation. “No conclusions reached by the Department of Justice, or by me, or by [FBI] Director Patel around who she is or is not,” Blanche said on Thursday, referring to Alice Huang. The FBI has investigated the affair for at least a year; the Justice and Commerce departments have investigated Megaspeed since 2024.

Super Micro has not commented on the new inquiry, but has said it takes export-control compliance extremely seriously and has cooperated with US inspections. Megaspeed denies wrongdoing. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Jensen Huang is “going through hell”, calling the resignation “a horrible thing… so sad to see”, while hedging on the spy question: “Well, the big thing is, was the woman a spy? And I don’t know if that’s been determined yet.”

Why It Matters

The probe widens the scandal beyond one company and one alleged operative. If Huang-linked entities helped move Super Micro products to China, the smuggling networks around Nvidia’s chips were broader than the cases brought so far, involving more than one hardware maker.

It also tests the export-control system. The US has spent years tightening rules on advanced AI chips, which can power military and surveillance systems. Each alleged diversion asks whether controls are being evaded faster than enforced. For Nvidia, the antitrust probe adds pressure on top of the inquiry into its $12.9 billion Hugging Face acquisition and years of scrutiny of its deals and sales practices.

What Happens Next

Nvidia reports earnings on Tuesday, November 17, when investors first hear from interim chief executive Colette Kress, and the Warren-Coons deadline for confirming export records are preserved falls on Monday. Jensen Huang briefs Congress on November 18. The Manhattan inquiry and the antitrust investigation have no public timetable, and the Justice Department has confirmed neither publicly. Nvidia now faces scrutiny on three fronts: the smuggling probes, the antitrust inquiries, and Congress.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Justice Department investigating about Super Micro?
Prosecutors are examining whether entities linked to Alice Huang helped smuggle Super Micro products to China (Bloomberg, Thu Nov 12).

Is Super Micro charged with anything?
No. It was not charged in the March case against co-founder Wally Liaw and two others, and it says it is cooperating. No charges have been announced in the new inquiry.

Is Nvidia charged in the antitrust investigation?
No criminal charges against Nvidia or Jensen Huang have been indicated, the officials who confirmed the investigation said. It is separate from the chip-smuggling probes.

Who is Alice Huang?
A former Megaspeed executive, 49, whom US officials suspect of working for Chinese intelligence; Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department has not yet reached a conclusion. She lives in Beijing.

What happens next?
Nvidia reports earnings November 17, the Warren-Coons records deadline falls the same day, and Jensen Huang briefs Congress November 18. The Manhattan and antitrust inquiries have no public timetable.