As Nvidia’s board investigates reports that CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence effort, Sen. Kevin Cramer urged him to resign, citing potential extortion risks at the chipmaker.
Cramer, a Republican from North Dakota, made the call in a Nov. 10 interview with Politico. “I just think he’s got to go,” he said, arguing that the possibility of extortion was too high given the sensitivity of Nvidia’s chips. The board has not reported a finding that Huang was extorted.
Nvidia’s board said Nov. 8 that independent directors had opened an inquiry into reports Huang had been targeted by foreign intelligence. It said Huang would cooperate and that it had “no reason to believe” national security or Nvidia secrets had been compromised. On Nov. 10, the independent directors retained former acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Joon H. Kim and law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to conduct the review. The board has announced no findings or timetable and said it would issue updates when warranted.
The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence identified business executive Alice Huang as working for Chinese intelligence and linked her to Jensen Huang. In a Nov. 8 message to Nvidia employees, Jensen Huang said he had been unfaithful to his wife but did not name the person involved.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun rejected the spying allegation Nov. 9, calling it “purely unsubstantiated” and a smear against China.
