Jensen Huang Agrees to Testify Before Congress in Nvidia China Spy Probe

Former Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has agreed to testify before Congress about his alleged relationship with a woman United States intelligence officials believe works for Chinese intelligence, hours after he resigned from the company he led for 33 years. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast told reporters on Thursday, November 12, 2026, that Huang has agreed to appear before Thanksgiving, with a date still under discussion.

Key Points

• Huang agreed to testify before Thanksgiving, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast said on Thursday.
• House chairs Mast, Moolenaar and Crawford set December 1 for Huang and December 2 for general counsel Tim Teter, or face subpoenas.
• Senate Banking Chairman Tim Scott also requested testimony from Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
• Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Richard Neal opened a probe into Nvidia H200 chip sales to Chinese firms, asking Lutnick to preserve records.
• Huang resigned on Thursday after acknowledging affairs, one with Alice Huang; Beijing denies she is a spy.

What Happened

The agreement came within hours of Huang's resignation, turning a corporate scandal into a congressional investigation. Mast's comments were the first public confirmation that the former chief executive would cooperate rather than force lawmakers to compel his testimony.

Behind that announcement, the House moved on a tighter timetable. Mast, Moolenaar, who chairs the House Select Committee on China, and Crawford, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, 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. If either man refuses to appear voluntarily, the committees will use their compulsory powers.

Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott sent letters on Thursday requesting testimony from Huang and from Lutnick, widening the inquiry from Huang's personal conduct to the government's handling of Nvidia's exports to China. A third front opened as Wyden and Neal asked Lutnick to preserve records on the trade investigation, export licences and communications with Nvidia and Huang over H200 sales to Chinese companies.

Background

Huang, 63, resigned on Thursday after acknowledging extramarital affairs, one of them with Alice Huang, a former executive at the Singapore-based chip distributor Megaspeed. United States officials believe Alice Huang works for Chinese intelligence, a claim Beijing has denied. The resignation ended a 33-year reign in which Huang built Nvidia from a small graphics-chip maker into the world's most valuable company and the dominant supplier of the chips that power artificial intelligence.

The board had been investigating Huang since Sunday, November 8. After the resignation, chief financial officer Colette Kress became interim chief executive, and the board named Harvey C. Jones as its first-ever chairman. Nvidia shares closed down 6.5 percent at $162.31 on Thursday. The Justice Department is already investigating Megaspeed over suspected smuggling of advanced Nvidia chips to China, an alleged $7.5 billion diversion that Megaspeed denies, and is running three inquiries into Nvidia, including one on antitrust grounds. Attorney General Todd Blanche said on November 12 that the department has not yet reached a conclusion on whether Alice Huang acted as a spy.

Jensen Huang Testimony: What Congress Wants to Know

Lawmakers have three sets of questions for Huang. The first concerns the relationship: what Huang knew about Alice Huang, what she may have learned, and whether company information reached Beijing through her. The second concerns Nvidia's business in China: which customers received advanced chips, how the company policed its distributors, and whether its compliance systems failed. The third concerns the government: whether the Commerce Department properly oversaw Nvidia's exports, and whether political considerations shaped decisions on chip sales to Chinese companies.

The December interviews will let investigators put those questions on the record under oath, with a transcript usable in later proceedings. Closed-door sessions also allow committees to ask about classified material, including the intelligence assessments behind the belief that Alice Huang works for Chinese intelligence, without disclosing sources and methods in public.

Reactions

Mast's announcement was welcomed across the committees, where lawmakers from both parties have pressed for answers since the scandal broke. The joint letter shows the investigation now spans foreign affairs, China policy and intelligence.

Blanche struck a cautious note on Thursday, saying the Justice Department has not yet reached a conclusion on whether Alice Huang acted as a spy. Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on Thursday that Congress needs an assessment of whether Nvidia is "too big to fail" and how its failure would affect the American banking system and credit markets. Reed said Nvidia "has backstopped the AI ecosystem through complex financing transactions" and demanded "full transparency". President Donald Trump said on Monday, November 9, that he had spoken to Huang, who told him he did not know the woman was allegedly a spy.

Why It Matters

Nvidia sits at the centre of the global artificial intelligence race, and its chips are treated by Washington as a strategic asset. The United States has spent years tightening export controls to keep its most advanced chips out of Chinese hands, on the argument that they could power military and surveillance systems. If a chief executive's personal relationship created a channel to Beijing, or export approvals were granted too freely, the damage could reach beyond one company to the credibility of the entire control regime. The case also tests how Congress handles a scandal mixing personal misconduct, corporate governance and national security.

What Happens Next

The calendar is now set. Huang is due before the House committees in a closed-door transcribed interview on December 1, with Teter to follow on December 2, unless the two sides agree otherwise before then. Mast has said Huang will testify before Thanksgiving, so an earlier appearance remains possible. Nvidia reports third-quarter results on Tuesday, November 17, when Kress faces investors for the first time as interim chief executive, while the Wyden-Neal H200 investigation continues in parallel.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will Jensen Huang testify? Mast said Huang has agreed to testify before Thanksgiving, with talks under way on a date. The House chairs have set December 1 for Huang and December 2 for general counsel Tim Teter.

Who is Alice Huang? Alice Huang is a former executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based chip distributor. United States intelligence officials believe she works for Chinese intelligence, a claim Beijing denies.

Why did Jensen Huang resign? Huang resigned on Thursday, November 12, after acknowledging extramarital affairs, one of them with Alice Huang. The company's board had been investigating him since Sunday, November 8.

Is Huang a target of a criminal investigation? There is no indication Huang is a target of a criminal probe. The Justice Department has not reached a conclusion on Alice Huang, and no charges have been indicated against Huang or Nvidia.

What is the H200 investigation? Wyden and Neal are investigating the Trump administration's approval of Nvidia H200 chip sales to Chinese companies, and have asked Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to preserve the relevant records.

Related coverage: Jensen Huang Resigns as Nvidia CEO After Spy Affair Scandal Ends 33-Year Reign, House Republicans Threaten Jensen Huang Subpoena as Nvidia Briefing Deadline Passes, and Senator Jack Reed: Congress Must Assess if Nvidia Is 'Too Big to Fail'.