U.S. intelligence agencies have yet to establish whether Alice Huang, a business executive who reportedly cultivated close ties with Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, knowingly worked with Chinese intelligence or was unknowingly used as part of Beijing’s espionage activities, according to Representative Jim Himes, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
Himes, a Democrat from Connecticut who is expected to become the next chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said he left a classified briefing earlier this week without receiving clear answers about Alice Huang’s alleged connections to the Chinese government and the information she may have obtained or shared.
In an extensive interview on Wednesday, Himes said senior officials from U.S. intelligence agencies had discussed the matter during a briefing for leading members of the House and Senate intelligence committees. However, he remained uncertain whether Alice Huang was deliberately collecting sensitive information for Beijing or was simply an unwitting participant in a broader intelligence operation.
“What’s the relationship with Alice Huang and the Chinese, and what do we know about what influence or information was traded? Because today, at least, I don’t know,” Himes said.
The briefing reportedly covered several intelligence and national security issues, including Nvidia chief Jensen Huang’s relationship with Alice Huang, who is associated with Singapore-based data center company Megaspeed.
The New York Times first reported last month that U.S. intelligence agencies were closely monitoring Alice Huang over concerns that she may have helped facilitate the transfer of advanced Nvidia chips to China despite existing American export restrictions. Her reported close personal relationship with the technology billionaire also attracted the attention of intelligence officials.
Jensen Huang subsequently acknowledged having an affair but did not publicly identify the individual involved.
Himes said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) should have launched a comprehensive counterintelligence investigation into Alice Huang earlier this year after a memorandum raising concerns about her alleged connections to the Chinese government circulated within U.S. government offices.
Although Himes said he had not personally seen the memorandum, he questioned whether federal investigators had responded adequately to the warning.
“I would hope that the FBI would launch a major counterintelligence investigation. I haven’t heard that they did,” he said.
He added that he questioned Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton and CIA Director John Ratcliffe about whether an investigation had been opened, but neither could confirm whether the FBI had initiated one.
President Donald Trump, however, said earlier this week that the FBI was investigating the situation and expressed confidence that the Nvidia executive would “be in good shape.”
The FBI, Office of the Director of National Intelligence and Central Intelligence Agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding any intelligence assessments of Alice Huang’s reported connections to Chinese intelligence.
The controversy has also drawn attention within the Trump administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly supervised the preparation of a memorandum warning senior administration officials that Nvidia’s chief executive had been targeted by Chinese intelligence operations.
Trump was reportedly briefed on the assessment while travelling to China in May for a state visit. The president, however, denied having prior knowledge of the intelligence concerns.
Meanwhile, the controversy has intensified pressure on Nvidia and its leadership. The company announced this week that it was investigating its chief executive, while senior U.S. government officials have called for Jensen Huang to step down. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Nvidia was preparing to remove him in response to the growing scandal.
Himes said investigators must establish whether any sensitive information was shared through the relationship, particularly information involving Nvidia’s advanced semiconductor technology and U.S. government activities.
He said intelligence officials should determine whether Jensen Huang disclosed confidential details about Nvidia’s chip research and development, trade secrets or information concerning Trump’s schedule during his May visit to China, which the technology executive reportedly attended.
The potential implications extend beyond corporate espionage. Himes also questioned whether Alice Huang might have influenced Nvidia’s position on selling its advanced H200 artificial intelligence chips to China.
The Trump administration cleared the sale despite national security concerns raised by Democratic lawmakers, who have warned that access to advanced American semiconductors could strengthen China’s artificial intelligence and military capabilities.
Himes argued that allowing Beijing access to powerful U.S.-developed chips could undermine Washington’s broader efforts to restrict China’s technological and military advancement.
“The president is playing a very dangerous game when he wants to send these things to China, which of course is exactly what we worry about in this Nvidia case,” Himes said.
The investigation raises broader questions about the vulnerability of America’s semiconductor industry to foreign intelligence operations, particularly as Washington and Beijing compete for dominance in artificial intelligence, advanced computing and military technology.
For U.S. intelligence agencies, determining whether the reported relationship involved deliberate espionage, unauthorized information sharing or exploitation by Chinese intelligence will be central to assessing the national security implications of the controversy. As Himes acknowledged, however, key questions remain unanswered.
