Alice Huang’s boast that brought Jensen Huang in

Listen to this article in summarized format Listen Loading... × × Subscribe to Unlock AI Briefing and Premium Content New Year Offer 24 Hours Left Subscribe Now Already a member? Sign In What's Included Exclusive Stories Daily ePaper Access Smart Market Tools Curated Investment Ideas Ad-lite Experience Subscription PTI At a technology gathering in Taipei in June 2024, Alice Huang told a group of executives that she could get Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to join them. Within moments, the billionaire walked into the room. NetThunder chief executive Parker Schmitt, who recounted the incident to The New York Times (NYT), said the encounter showed the kind of access Alice Huang appeared to have to one of the technology industry's most powerful executives. Jensen Huang arrived with two other Nvidia executives and joined the gathering for a shot of whiskey. However, a person familiar with Nvidia told the NYT that the CEO had already planned to attend the event. Also Read: Who could potentially replace Jensen Huang if Nvidia ousts him? The encounter has taken on new significance amid revelations about Alice Huang's business dealings, her relationship with the Nvidia chief and allegations that she had been recruited by China's Ministry of State Security to gather intelligence for Beijing. Live Events A November 10 report by the NYT has revealed that the two had been in contact since at least December 2023, when they met with a small group of colleagues at an Italian restaurant in Singapore. A photograph from the previously unreported meeting, verified by the newspaper, shows Alice Huang seated beside Jensen Huang, who was wearing his trademark black leather jacket. The meeting came shortly after Alice Huang restructured a company that would eventually purchase billions of dollars worth of Nvidia's artificial intelligence chips. With financial backing from wealthy Shanghai investors, she used a Singapore-based shell company to restructure the business, which became Megaspeed . Just four days after the ownership change, Megaspeed was named an Nvidia cloud partner, giving it access to the chipmaker's advanced technology, the NYT reported. Photos with Jensen were a point of pride Alice Huang's proximity to the Nvidia chief was also evident from her social media activity. Her profiles featured photographs of the two together at restaurants, golf courses and other venues. Schmitt told the NYT that Alice Huang was keen to build a reputation as a successful sales executive, and her association with Jensen Huang helped strengthen that image. In the technology industry, he said, photographs with the Nvidia CEO were something to be proud of. Also Read: Musk wants to hire Jensen Huang: Elon Musk says he would be honoured to recruit Nvidia CEO if board decides to replace him The NYT verified photographs showing the two together at several locations over the past three years, including Shanghai, Nvidia's Silicon Valley headquarters, a California golf resort and Taiwan . According to the report, Alice Huang, whose Chinese name is Huang Le, drew on her experience and contacts in Shanghai's financial circles to establish herself in the technology industry. Those connections helped her expand her network and build Megaspeed into a major buyer of Nvidia technology. Megaspeed's billion-dollar chip purchases Between 2024 and 2026, Megaspeed acquired more than $4 billion worth of Nvidia's advanced AI chips , according to the NYT. The company also attracted business from Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, which became its dominant customer through a Malaysian subsidiary. But Megaspeed's operations soon came under scrutiny from US authorities, particularly amid Washington's restrictions on exports of advanced AI chips to China. In late 2024, the US Commerce Department sent an official to inspect a Megaspeed data centre and check whether the Nvidia chips delivered to the company had actually been installed there. During the inspection, some equipment was found still packed in boxes, raising questions about whether the chips were being brought into the facility or shipped elsewhere rather than being used at the site, the NYT reported. Taiwanese authorities also began monitoring Alice Huang's visits to the island at the request of the US government, according to the report. Her activities attracted attention in Singapore as well. In 2025, Singaporean authorities questioned Alice Huang as part of an investigation into alleged false import declarations. She was also temporarily barred from leaving the country. Also Read: Nvidia preparing to oust CEO Jensen Huang as two affairs, China spy allegations rock chip giant However, a person familiar with the investigation told the NYT that there was insufficient evidence to suggest Alice Huang had been involved in the false declarations and that investigations against her had concluded. Singaporean authorities have said their investigation into Megaspeed remains ongoing. Nvidia faces scrutiny The latest revelations come after Jensen Huang acknowledged that he had been unfaithful to his wife, Lori Huang, and apologised to her, their children, Nvidia employees, board members and shareholders. Nvidia's board has since launched an independent investigation into the matter. An independent committee of directors is overseeing the inquiry with assistance from external legal counsel. Jensen Huang has expressed support for the investigation and said he would cooperate fully. Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! 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