US Intelligence Found Chinese Businesswoman With Nvidia Ties Passed Secrets to Beijing
US intelligence reportedly found a Chinese businesswoman with ties to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang passed data to Beijing. President Trump was briefed a year ago but took no action amid trade sensitivities.
US intelligence agencies concluded that a Chinese businesswoman with close ties to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang passed intelligence to Beijing, according to a report published by The New York Times. US President Donald Trump was briefed on the matter about a year ago but chose not to take action.
The central figure in the case is Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, a Chinese national who held a senior position at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based company providing computing services through data centers. The firm is under US investigation on suspicion of helping Chinese entities access advanced Nvidia artificial intelligence chips despite Washington export curbs. Electronic surveillance revealed she was funneling information to Beijing while maintaining direct ties with the Nvidia chief executive.
The investigation does not establish that the Nvidia CEO was aware of her intelligence-gathering activities or knowingly provided her with sensitive information. When Trump was briefed, intelligence officials assessed that Huang did not know she was collecting data for China, although several senior administration officials doubt he was unaware.
Trump was briefed but Nvidia CEO left unwarned
A prominent finding is the decision not to warn the Nvidia CEO about potential espionage risks. Typically, when US intelligence identifies an American citizen targeted by foreign intelligence, a security warning is issued. In this case, Huang received no such warning, potentially to avoid tipping off the businesswoman that she was under surveillance.
Trump was briefed on the findings a year ago but refrained from acting, wary of damaging Nvidia chip sales or escalating trade tensions with China. The affair unfolds against a backdrop of strengthening ties between Trump and Huang, who successfully lobbied the administration during Trump's second term to ease export curbs on chips to China and reduce AI regulations.
Billions in equipment and circumvention suspicions
Suspicion surrounding Megaspeed is not new. In late 2024, US authorities began examining whether the firm assisted China in bypassing advanced chip export controls. During a US Commerce Department visit to a company data center in Malaysia, Nvidia equipment was found boxed up rather than operational, raising suspicions of intended diversion.
According to trade data, a Megaspeed sister company in Malaysia purchased at least $4.8 billion in advanced AI technology and Nvidia chips between June 2024 and February 2026. Megaspeed acts as a middleman, building data centers in Southeast Asia and leasing computing power to Chinese firms like Alibaba. US investigators suspect some chips were physically smuggled to China, prompting the case's transfer from the Commerce Department to the Department of Justice.
Nvidia stated that interactions between its CEO and Ms. Huang were routine, noting that the chief executive meets thousands of clients annually and shares only standard business information. Megaspeed stated it takes the allegations seriously, hired outside legal counsel, and will cooperate with authorities. The Chinese Embassy rejected the claims, while the White House, CIA, and NSA declined to comment.
