Kang Wei, Alice Huang's Husband, Introduced Her to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, WSJ Reports
The man who introduced Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang to Alice Huang was her own husband, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, in the latest twist in a scandal engulfing the world's most valuable chipmaker. Chinese businessman Kang Wei, whom Huang had known for about a decade, made the introduction, according to people who know the couple. Kang Wei is Alice Huang's husband, a detail that reframes a relationship US officials believe China exploited to reach the head of the company at the centre of the global race for artificial intelligence.
Kang Wei, the Journal reported, appeared for about two years to accept his wife's romantic relationship with the Nvidia chief and spoke openly of their closeness. Nothing in the reporting suggests he was involved in espionage, and no charge has been brought against him. His role is now a question for investigators and for Nvidia's board.
Key Points
- The Wall Street Journal reports Chinese businessman Kang Wei introduced Jensen Huang to Alice Huang, and that Kang Wei is her husband.
- Huang had known Kang Wei for about a decade before the introduction, according to people who know the couple.
- For about two years, Kang Wei appeared to accept his wife's relationship with the Nvidia chief and spoke openly of their closeness.
- US officials believe China recruited Alice Huang as an asset for her access to the chip-designer chief; the Justice Department is leading multiple investigations involving her.
- Alice Huang was detained in Singapore in the summer of 2025 and prevented from leaving, and Taiwan has revoked her entry permit and barred her return.
What Happened
The Journal's report, published on Thursday, November 12, identifies Kang Wei for the first time as the link between the two Huangs. Jensen Huang, the co-founder and chief executive of Nvidia, had known the Chinese businessman for roughly ten years, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the couple. It was Kang Wei who brought Alice Huang into the Nvidia chief's orbit, starting a relationship US officials now believe Beijing exploited.
What makes the account striking is Kang Wei's apparent attitude. For about two years, he appeared to accept his wife's relationship with one of the most powerful executives in technology and spoke openly about how close the two were. The newspaper did not report that he knew of any intelligence connection or played any role in passing information. The new details arrived with fresh disclosures about Alice Huang: she was detained by Singapore authorities in the summer of 2025 and prevented from leaving, and Taiwan has revoked her entry permit and barred her return to the island, where she met Jensen Huang several times in 2024 and 2025.
Background and Context
The affair became public in early November, when the New York Times reported that US intelligence officials believe Alice Huang, a former executive at the Singapore cloud firm Megaspeed, was recruited by China's Ministry of State Security to gather information on Jensen Huang and seek secrets about Nvidia's artificial intelligence chips. A 2026 US memo said Huang was romantically involved with Alice Huang, the Financial Times reported. Megaspeed is also under scrutiny over allegations it potentially transshipped billions of dollars in export-restricted Nvidia AI chips to China, with networks linked to the firm accused of funnelling about 240,000 restricted processors worth about 7.5 billion dollars, according to The Information. The firm calls itself compliant and legal; no charge has been brought against it.
Kang Wei: The Husband Who Made the Introduction
Little has been publicly reported about Kang Wei beyond the Journal's account, but the facts it establishes are significant. A businessman known to Jensen Huang for a decade, he was close enough to the Nvidia chief to introduce his wife to him. The relationship between the two men predates the affair, so the introduction was not a chance encounter but a meeting arranged through a trusted personal connection.
Investigators will want to know what Kang Wei understood about his wife's work. Alice Huang was an executive at Megaspeed, a firm that became one of the largest buyers of Nvidia chips in Asia. Whether her husband knew of any intelligence interest in her has not been reported, and the Journal does not accuse him of wrongdoing.
Reactions and Quotes
Beijing has rejected the spying allegations outright. China has called the claims a "groundless accusation, slander and a smear", denying any Chinese spying plot involving Alice Huang.
Nvidia has declined to comment on the specifics, while maintaining that its chief executive meets thousands of customer executives every year and that Asian cloud customers receive only ordinary business information, not sensitive trade secrets. The company has called the spying allegations baseless. Trump has publicly backed Huang, saying he believes his account and calling him an honourable man.
Why It Matters
The identity of the introducer matters because it changes how investigators understand the case. If Alice Huang reached Jensen Huang through her husband, a man the Nvidia chief had trusted for a decade, then her access came through a personal network, the kind of relationship hardest for a company to police and easiest for an intelligence service to exploit. The case also sits at the intersection of the two biggest stories in American technology policy: the race for artificial intelligence and the export controls meant to keep the most advanced chips out of Chinese hands.
What Happens Next
The immediate next step is the congressional briefing. Jensen Huang has been asked to appear behind closed doors on November 18 before the House Foreign Affairs, China Select and Intelligence committees, and the new details about Kang Wei are almost certain to be among the questions he faces. The Justice Department's investigations will continue in parallel, and the board's inquiry into Huang's conduct remains open. No timetable has been given for either, and no charge has been brought against Alice Huang, Kang Wei or anyone else in connection with the affair.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kang Wei? Kang Wei is a Chinese businessman Jensen Huang had known for about a decade, and Alice Huang's husband. The Wall Street Journal reported on November 12 that he introduced his wife to Huang.
How did Jensen Huang meet Alice Huang? According to the Journal, Kang Wei introduced them, through a personal and business relationship about ten years old.
What do US officials believe about Alice Huang? US officials believe China recruited her as an asset because of her access to Jensen Huang. The Justice Department is leading multiple investigations involving her.
Where is Alice Huang now? She was detained in Singapore in the summer of 2025 and prevented from leaving, and Taiwan has revoked her entry permit and barred her return.
What is Megaspeed accused of? US and Singaporean authorities are scrutinising Megaspeed over allegations it potentially transshipped billions of dollars in export-restricted Nvidia AI chips to China. The firm says it is compliant and legal.
Related coverage: Trump Approved Nvidia Chip Crackdown Three Times, but Lutnick Keeps Stalling It | Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Asked to Brief Congress on Nov. 18 Over China Spy Claims | US Memo Says Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Had Romantic Ties to Alleged China Spy
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