Who is Alice Huang, Chinese woman accused of ‘honey-trapping’ Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang?

Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, has come under scrutiny after reports of her alleged close relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and claims that she was recruited by Chinese intelligence to gather information about the chipmaker and influence its business interests.

Following reports on the matter, Nvidia has opened an investigation into a possible plot by foreign intelligence to target Jensen Huang.

According to reports by The New York Times and the Financial Times, US intelligence agencies identified Alice Huang as an alleged Chinese intelligence asset working for Beijing’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). A classified memo cited in the media reports reportedly alleged that she was tasked with gathering information about Jensen Huang and potentially influencing Nvidia’s efforts to sell advanced artificial intelligence chips to China.

Relationship under scrutiny

The controversy has drawn attention to her professional links with Megaspeed, a Singapore-based technology company that reportedly bought more than $4.8 billion worth of Nvidia chips over two years. US authorities have been examining whether Chinese companies were receiving advanced Nvidia processors despite Washington’s export restrictions.

Also read: Nvidia opens probe into CEO Jensen Huang’s ‘affair’ with Chinese spy

Alice Huang is not related to Jensen Huang, the Taiwanese-born chief executive of Nvidia. Reports of their alleged relationship gained attention after the two were seen together at public events in Taipei. However, the claims about their relationship and the allegations of intelligence activity remain under scrutiny.

From journalism to finance

Alice Huang’s reported professional background spans journalism, banking and investment management.

A profile in a Chinese private-fund database describes her as a former television reporter who worked with Hunan TV and China’s state broadcaster CCTV. She is also reported to have worked at HSBC, where she was listed as an assistant to the president of its private banking division.

She later served as vice-president at CITIC Securities. Chinese investment records also list her as an executive director and fund manager at Shanghai Hexi Investment Management, an organisation reportedly linked to Chinese gaming company 7Road.

However, aspects of her reported media career have been questioned. A Hunan TV executive told The New York Post that he had never heard of her. The newspaper also said it could not find a profile of her on CCTV’s website.

How is she linked to Megaspeed?

Alice Huang’s association with Megaspeed is central to the controversy surrounding Nvidia.

The Singapore-based company has corporate links to 7Road International, the overseas arm of Chinese gaming firm 7Road. Megaspeed was established in 2023 and was reportedly owned by Huang Le Limited, led by Alice Huang, before being sold to Swiftdata later that year. She continued to be publicly associated with the business after the sale.

Also read: Nvidia unveils N1X chip for Windows PCs, takes on Intel, AMD and Qualcomm

Megaspeed became a major Nvidia customer in Southeast Asia. According to The New York Times, it purchased more than $4.8 billion worth of Nvidia chips over two years.

The scale of these purchases reportedly attracted attention in Washington amid concerns that advanced AI processors were reaching Chinese companies through third-party data centres in the region.

Reports alleged that Megaspeed built data-centre capacity in countries such as Malaysia and rented computing power to Chinese firms, including Alibaba. Such arrangements have raised questions about whether companies in China could access advanced computing hardware without purchasing the chips directly, potentially circumventing US export restrictions.

The reports have also alleged financial links between the wider corporate network associated with Alice Huang and China's military technology sector. These claims have not been independently established.

What are the intelligence allegations?

A classified memo cited by The New York Times and the Financial Times reportedly said that China’s Ministry of State Security recruited Alice Huang to gather commercial intelligence about Nvidia and its chief executive.

The alleged objective was not limited to obtaining information about the company. The memo reportedly suggested that she was expected to use her proximity to Jensen Huang to influence Nvidia’s position on selling advanced AI chips to China, at a time when Washington had imposed restrictions on exports of high-end processors.

US agencies are also reported to have monitored Alice Huang’s communications for at least a year. According to the accounts, officials intercepted communications between her and an unnamed American citizen. The individual was subsequently identified as Jensen Huang through a process known as unmasking, which allows the identity of a US person mentioned in intelligence reports to be disclosed to authorised officials.

Also read: Trump, other US officials enter China under ‘digital lockdown’; why so?

The reports have not established that Nvidia’s chief executive knowingly participated in any intelligence operation or that the company’s trade secrets were compromised.

Nvidia under scrutiny

The controversy comes amid an ongoing debate in Washington over whether US companies should be allowed to sell advanced AI chips to China.

Jensen Huang has repeatedly argued for easing restrictions, saying that US companies risk losing market share and influence if Chinese businesses turn to domestic or alternative suppliers. The issue has become particularly sensitive as the US seeks to maintain its lead in artificial intelligence while limiting China’s access to advanced computing technology.

Nvidia’s board has reportedly initiated an independent investigation into the allegations surrounding Alice Huang, her links to Megaspeed and the reported relationship with its chief executive.

Jensen Huang has acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife, but his admission did not identify Alice Huang as the person involved. The company and its chief executive have maintained that no trade secrets or US national security assets were compromised.

The Chinese government has also rejected the intelligence allegations as groundless.