Nvidia CEO Resigns Amid Espionage Scandal; Five Similar Cases in History

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigned Thursday amid a scandal involving alleged infidelity and suspected espionage, following an independent investigation announced by the company's board. The board's probe was prompted by reports that Huang was targeted by foreign intelligence, with the New York Times and Financial Times linking him to Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen and former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed, described as Nvidia's largest chip buyer in Southeast Asia. A US government memo reportedly concluded she was recruited by China's Ministry of State Security, though nothing has been publicly proven. The Justice Department is also investigating Megaspeed for allegedly diverting chips to China, which the company denies. The alleged method echoes past cases, including a 2010 MI5 document revealing Chinese intelligence used sexual relationships to pressure cooperation. Historical examples include MSS officer Yanjun Xu, convicted for targeting GE Aviation technology; Soviet spy Klaus Fuchs, who accelerated the Soviet atomic bomb; Stasi agent Günter Guillaume, who infiltrated Chancellor Willy Brandt's office; FBI informant Katrina Leung, who had affairs with her handlers; and Christine Fang, suspected of targeting California politicians.