Nvidia's $300M Lobbying Push on China Chip Curbs Faces New Scrutiny After CEO Scandal

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's extramarital affair with Huang Le, accused of being a Chinese spy, is intensifying pressure on the company's lobbying efforts to relax U.S. export restrictions on advanced AI chips to China, potentially tightening policy. Nvidia's lobbying spending on the U.S. federal government and Congress reached $4.97 million in 2025, nearly eight times the $640,000 spent in 2024, with 2026 spending on track to exceed that, according to OpenSecrets data. Key lobbying topics include AI policy, semiconductor trade, export controls, and the NDAA. Following the scandal, Congress is demanding explanations and considering three new China-focused chip bills. Tsinghua University researcher Sun Chenghao said the affair may prompt Democrats, expected to control Congress in January, to scrutinize H200 export approvals and end-use verification, raising the likelihood of tighter advanced AI chip exports to China.