A U.S. intelligence memo circulated earlier this year claimed that Alice Huang, an executive at Singapore-based company Megaspeed, was recruited by China's Ministry of State Security to spy on Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, according to multiple media reports. The New York Times first reported on the memo, which was based on U.S. intelligence.
The Financial Times subsequently reported that the memo also claimed Jensen Huang had a romantic relationship with Alice Huang. An Nvidia spokesperson told the Times that Jensen Huang's interactions with Alice Huang were not unusual and that the company does not share classified information with its customers.
A separate Times report examined New Matrix, a Chinese company that the U.S. Commerce Department had authorized to buy advanced Nvidia chips. When reporters visited the office address listed by New Matrix, they found only a hollow gray shell, raising concerns that the company could be a front for a blacklisted private equity firm.
The Nvidia spokesperson said the company sells the first, best and most of its technology in America. Nvidia manufactures graphics processing units that are critical for artificial intelligence development and are subject to U.S. export controls aimed at limiting China's access to advanced chips.