According to a report by The New York Times based on classified intelligence, Donald Trump was briefed approximately a year ago that Beijing was receiving reports from an individual with direct access to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. This individual is identified as Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, a Chinese citizen and former top executive at the Singapore-based cloud company Megaspeed. Sources indicate that while US agencies had long suspected Alice Huang of helping China evade export controls to acquire high-end Nvidia chips, investigators were alarmed to discover she may have leveraged her role to gain personal proximity to Jensen Huang. The intelligence suggests she used this closeness not only to feed secrets about a leading American AI company but also to potentially influence Trump's thinking on artificial intelligence.
Despite these findings, sources state that Trump chose not to act on the information, partly due to fears that US action against the alleged spying could disrupt Nvidia's chip sales or jeopardize the delicate trade truce between the US and China. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently highlighted this dynamic, noting ahead of AI talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping that the president is completely aligned with Jensen Huang. Critics argue that this political friendship appears largely motivated by efforts to grow Nvidia's business in China, citing relaxed export controls and a controversial deal granting the US a 25 percent cut of certain chip sales as evidence of Huang's influence.
The report details that shortly after US scrutiny intensified, Alice Huang's name was removed from Megaspeed corporate documents, though her current connection to the firm remains unclear. The Chinese Embassy in Washington dismissed the accusations as baseless smears. Meanwhile, it remains uncertain which agencies were investigating or what specific information was shared with Beijing. Notably, Jensen Huang did not receive a defensive briefing typically provided to Americans targeted by foreign spying. Some officials speculate he may have been kept unaware to prevent him from tipping off Alice Huang that she was being watched, although others believe he likely knew of her activities given their professional relationship.
Nvidia has denied that Alice Huang had access to trade secrets, with spokesperson John Rizzo stating that the company's independent investigation found no signs of chip diversion and raised no red flags regarding Megaspeed. However, US government investigations dating back to 2024 have uncovered suspicious boxes of Nvidia equipment at Megaspeed facilities that appeared ready for shipment rather than installation. The Department of Justice has since taken over the Commerce Department's probe. Former Biden administration official Aaron Bartnick noted that Megaspeed presented many red flags, including questionable ownership claims and possible ties to sanctioned entities, which should have prompted Nvidia executives to question granting them access to AI chips.
The New York Times also conducted an on-the-ground review of Megaspeed's operations, finding inconsistencies in the company's stated activities. Staffers reportedly could not clearly explain what the company does, and the Singapore-based director, James Tan, was found to live in China and never be present at the offices. Corporate documents reviewed by the newspaper indicate that Tan owns the shell company controlling Megaspeed. While Nvidia maintains that meetings between its CEO and customer executives are routine, intelligence agencies conducted electronic surveillance on Alice Huang, which revealed contact with an American citizen. The unmasking process subsequently identified Jensen Huang as that US citizen.
Sources: Ars Technica.