Washington, U.S., November 9 (ANI): U.S. President Donald Trump has come out in strong defense of Nvidia founder and Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang amid an escalating controversy over his relationship with a woman suspected of operating as a Chinese intelligence asset. Trump described the tech leader as an “honorable guy” and said he should remain at the helm of the chip giant.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said that although he had not spoken directly to Huang about the developing scandal, he believed the executive had delivered immense value to the country.
“I have not spoken to him about it. I just know he’s a fine person, but you never know what is going on. I’m sure—I hope everything’s fine there. He’s done such an incredible job, so I would certainly hope… he’s a fine person, in my opinion,” Trump told reporters.
When pressed on whether he regretted not taking action earlier after being briefed by intelligence agencies about the suspected foreign spy network, the president pushed back, arguing that individuals deserved the benefit of the doubt.
“No, I don’t think so. I think, you know, I think he’s an honorable guy. I think he probably has an excuse for it, you know, and you have to hear it. No, you can’t do that with people… He’s done an amazing job for our country,” Trump said.
Asked directly whether he expected Huang to retain his position as CEO of the semiconductor and artificial intelligence powerhouse, Trump replied affirmatively, saying, “I think so. Sure.”
The public defense comes shortly after Nvidia’s Board of Directors initiated an independent investigation into allegations that Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. The move followed reports that Huang had admitted to an extramarital affair with a tech executive identified by U.S. intelligence as a Chinese asset.
According to the company, the investigation will be conducted by a specialized committee comprising independent directors, assisted by external independent legal counsel.
Nvidia stated that while it was conducting a comprehensive inquiry, there was currently no indication that proprietary technology or classified information had been compromised.
“The NVIDIA Board is initiating an independent investigation in light of recent reporting that founder and CEO Jensen Huang has been the target of a foreign intelligence effort. A committee of independent directors, assisted by outside independent counsel, will oversee the investigation. The Board prioritizes U.S. national and economic security, which is paramount to the interests of NVIDIA and its shareholders. While the Board has no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised, the Board’s inquiry will examine all available information,” the statement said.
The company further confirmed that Huang had welcomed the internal investigation and committed to cooperating with investigators.
“Jensen fully supports the review and has committed to cooperating with it. The Board has confidence in Jensen and his leadership team and will provide further updates as appropriate,” Nvidia said.
Following the announcement of the board investigation, Fox News reported that Huang had admitted to an extramarital relationship with a tech executive suspected of spying for China.
In an internal apology addressed to company employees and reported by Fox News, Huang acknowledged personal wrongdoing and infidelity to his family.
“I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did,” Huang stated in the message cited by the network.
The development came after three Republican chairmen of House committees on Friday asked the Nvidia CEO to address, behind closed doors, reported links with a Chinese businesswoman suspected of providing information to Beijing, Axios reported. (ANI)
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