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The US Congress has summoned Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to testify over his alleged relationship with a Chinese businesswoman suspected by US intelligence agencies of being a spy.
According to the BBC, Huang has been asked to appear before a Senate committee next month to address concerns surrounding the allegations.
The controversy erupted after reports emerged of an alleged extramarital relationship between Huang and businesswoman Alice Huang, whom US intelligence agencies reportedly suspect of having links to Chinese intelligence.
The allegations triggered widespread attention, prompting Nvidia to announce an investigation into whether its chief executive had been targeted by foreign intelligence operations. Two days after the announcement, Huang unexpectedly stepped down from the top position at the world’s most valuable companies, sending shockwaves through Silicon Valley.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has also been asked to testify before the Senate Banking Committee in December as part of an investigation into American exports of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips to China.
Nvidia reportedly lost $550 billion in market value over five days following the emergence of the scandal.
On Thursday, Senator Tim Scott sent letters to Huang and Lutnick requesting their testimony before the Senate Banking Committee. Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, wrote on social media platform X that recent reports had raised serious concerns about national security and the protection of sensitive American technology.
Scott invited Huang to appear voluntarily before the committee on December 3, warning that it could issue a legal subpoena if necessary to compel his testimony.
Meanwhile, three House committees — Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and the Select Committee on China — have sent Huang a letter requesting a closed-door interview on December 1.
Citing unnamed officials in President Donald Trump’s administration, US media reported that Lutnick had blocked efforts to tighten restrictions on exports of advanced AI chips to China, bringing him under scrutiny.
A spokesperson for the Commerce Department said Lutnick had agreed to appear voluntarily before the Senate Banking Committee.
Huang, who had been the public face of Nvidia since 1993, acknowledged on Sunday that he had been unfaithful to his wife but did not identify Alice Huang by name.
On Wednesday, reports emerged of a second alleged relationship involving another Nvidia executive.
According to The New York Times, Alice Huang, an executive at Singapore-based company Megaspeed, is suspected of working as an intelligence agent for China. Despite sharing the same surname, she is not related to Jensen Huang.
China has rejected the allegations as disinformation, according to the BBC.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Thursday that the Justice Department had not reached any conclusion on whether Alice Huang had engaged in espionage on behalf of Beijing.
Nvidia executives have repeatedly declined to comment on the allegations. A personal representative of Huang also declined to comment on Thursday.
US media reports identified the second woman as Kimberly Powell, a longtime Nvidia executive who reportedly worked directly under Huang. BBC reports, citing employees, said the unusually close relationship between the two had attracted attention within the company.
An Nvidia employee told the BBC that staff initially paid little attention to reports of Huang’s alleged extramarital affair. However, reports of another relationship involving a company executive left employees stunned.
Another employee said staff had been instructed not to speak to the media or comment publicly on the matter.
Meanwhile, Nvidia is searching for a permanent successor to Huang. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress was appointed interim CEO on Thursday.
Originally known for producing computer gaming chips, Nvidia rose rapidly under Huang’s leadership by capitalising on surging global demand for AI technology over the past four years.
The controversy has become a major talking point across San Francisco’s Bay Area technology industry. Huang and his wife, Lori, have been married for 40 years and have two children, both of whom reportedly hold executive positions at the company.
Since its stock market debut 27 years ago, Nvidia has faced its biggest five-day decline this week, according to the report. Its market value had increased by more than 470 per cent over the past five years before reaching a record high just weeks ago, but has since fallen 31 per cent.