A Chinese businesswoman with ties to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was allegedly recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) to gather intelligence about the American chipmaker and potentially influence its sales of advanced artificial intelligence chips to China, according to a new report by The New York Times.
The allegations are based on a US intelligence assessment detailed in a memo circulated among senior Trump administration officials in spring 2026.
The memo identified Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman associated with Singapore-based technology company Megaspeed, as an operative working directly for China’s principal intelligence agency, the newspaper reported, citing people briefed on the intelligence.
The disclosure has attracted attention in Washington, where Republican leaders of three House committees have requested that Jensen Huang attend a closed-door briefing on November 18 to discuss his interactions with Alice Huang. The two share a surname but are not related.
U.S. intelligence agencies had reportedly been keeping tabs on Alice Huang’s electronic communications for over a year. The New York Times previously revealed that President Donald Trump was even briefed back in 2025 about her connection to Nvidia’s CEO.
Huang, also known as Huang Le, is well-connected within the AI hardware scene. She’s frequently spotted at industry events and private tech dinners, maintaining close ties with top executives, including key leaders at server assembler Gigabyte.
Her business moves have raised red flags as well. Back in 2024, right around the time she was spotted at a Taipei bar with Jensen Huang—her company, Megaspeed, kicked off a multibillion-dollar shopping spree for high-end AI chips.
The company has developed data centers in Southeast Asia and rented computing capacity to Chinese technology giant Alibaba.
The arrangement provides access to Nvidia-powered computing resources outside mainland China, where US export controls restrict direct sales of certain advanced chips.
The New York Times also identified financial connections between a network of companies associated with Alice Huang and China’s military technology sector. Those links included an investment in a cybersecurity subsidiary of China Electronics Technology Group, a major Chinese defense technology manufacturer.
The reported intelligence operation comes amid a continuing dispute over American restrictions on AI chip exports to China.
Jensen Huang has repeatedly argued that allowing American chipmakers to compete in China could strengthen their position against domestic rivals such as Huawei. In 2025, he successfully pressed the Trump administration to ease restrictions on certain Nvidia products.
A subsequent arrangement allowed sales of Nvidia’s second-most-powerful chip to China, with the US government receiving 25% of the sales revenue. Trump also considered permitting exports of Nvidia’s more advanced Blackwell chips but ultimately backed away from that proposal.
By May 2026, Jensen Huang had publicly stated that China should not receive Nvidia’s most advanced Blackwell or forthcoming Rubin technology. He maintained that American companies should retain technological leadership while remaining competitive internationally.
There is no established evidence in the reports that Alice Huang caused or influenced any of these policy decisions.
Nvidia has rejected suggestions that its interactions with customers involved improper access to sensitive information or lobbying requests.
Company spokesperson John Rizzo said Nvidia does not share classified information with customers and that customers do not ask the company to pressure Washington over export policy.
He characterized Jensen Huang’s meetings with Alice Huang as “not unusual,” saying they were consistent with the executive’s regular interactions with Nvidia customers.
China has also rejected the allegations. Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Chang described The New York Times’ reporting as “unsubstantiated” and “nothing but smears against China.”
Alice Huang did not respond to repeated requests for comment from the newspaper, while the White House and CIA declined to comment.
The allegations highlight the national security concerns surrounding advanced AI processors, which have become central to technological competition between Washington and Beijing.
China has set a goal of becoming a global AI leader by 2030, while its Ministry of State Security has expanded its focus on emerging technologies and industrial intelligence.
For US policymakers, the central unanswered questions concern what information the alleged operation obtained and whether it had any effect on discussions surrounding Nvidia’s access to the Chinese market.
The requested congressional briefing could provide lawmakers with an opportunity to examine those questions, although the available reporting does not establish whether the alleged intelligence effort succeeded.
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