Nvidia has hired a prominent US law firm to investigate reports concerning the relationship between its chief executive, Jensen Huang, and a woman suspected by US intelligence officials of working for China.
The company's independent directors have retained Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz partner Joon H. Kim to conduct the investigation, Nvidia said on Tuesday, November 10.
The appointment follows Nvidia's announcement on November 8 that its board had initiated an independent investigation into reports concerning Huang's relationship with the woman. US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the FBI was also looking into the matter.
Huang acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife in a message to Nvidia employees on November 8. He apologised to his family and colleagues and said he would cooperate fully with the board's investigation. He did not identify the woman in his message.
Media reports have identified the woman as Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed. US intelligence officials reportedly suspect her of gathering information for Beijing. However, these allegations have not been publicly established.
The controversy has raised national security concerns because of Nvidia's position as one of the world's leading designers and suppliers of chips used in artificial intelligence computing.
Nvidia's shares fell more than 4 per cent on Monday, November 9, wiping out around $190 billion in market value, according to an Associated Press report. Reuters subsequently reported that the company's market value had fallen by around $430 billion over two trading sessions.
Alice Huang's former employer, Megaspeed, has also faced scrutiny over allegations that it helped divert restricted Nvidia AI chips to China. Singaporean authorities have confirmed that investigations into Megaspeed are ongoing. However, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs clarified on October 31 that neither the government nor its officials had investigated Alice Huang over her alleged links to Chinese intelligence.
According to The New York Times, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio circulated a memo to senior administration officials before Trump's May 2026 visit to China, warning them about intelligence concerning Huang's relationship with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy.
China has rejected the allegations. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun described the claims as baseless and an attempt to malign the country.
On Monday, Trump said he had spoken to Huang and asked whether he knew the woman was a spy. According to Trump, Huang denied knowing about her alleged links to Chinese intelligence. Trump said he believed Huang's response.