Nvidia faces calls for an independent investigation into potential information leaks involving Jensen Huang’s personal relationships and its dealings with Mega Speed, Bloomberg Technology said in a discussion published Nov. 10.
The concerns extended beyond restrictions on chip sales to China to questions about access to company information and Huang’s contacts in Washington. The discussion did not establish that information had reached Chinese intelligence.
One concern involved information about Nvidia’s products and customers that might have been shared with Chinese intelligence. Another involved information that might have passed indirectly through Huang’s relationships with senior White House officials.
A third concerned whether a personal relationship influenced Nvidia’s actions on behalf of Mega Speed. Lawmakers were seeking a closed-door briefing with Huang about the allegations.
Republican concerns centred on Nvidia chips reaching Chinese customers through Southeast Asia. Mega Speed had been under US investigation over such shipments, and Nvidia appeared to have tried to interfere with that inquiry, the New York Times reported.
Separate concerns involved allegations that Nvidia had pressured researchers and think tank employees who opposed its positions in Washington. Democrats’ concerns included whether the company’s interactions with the administration involved corruption.
Those questions included Nvidia’s apparent approach to the Commerce Department about the Mega Speed investigation. The customer was described as being run by a woman alleged to have a personal relationship with Huang.
The proposed independent investigation would examine what information about Nvidia’s products and processes might have been shared. It would also examine whether information from Huang’s contacts outside the company could have passed indirectly to Chinese intelligence.
Those contacts included technology executives, President Donald Trump and senior White House officials. The questions concerned possible inadvertent disclosures as well as information about Nvidia itself.
The discussion also raised whether Huang could continue to lead the company through the controversy. Private-sector arguments for keeping him in charge rested on his role in building Nvidia over 30 years.
The allegations involved a relationship with a major customer who was also alleged to be a Chinese intelligence asset. Whether either allegation was established, and whether any information had been transferred, remained open questions.
Bloomberg separately reported that Nvidia had understated the number of chips it sold to Mega Speed. The discussion connected that allegation with questions about the company’s efforts on the customer’s behalf.
Senators from both parties had called for further investigations and stronger semiconductor export controls. Proposed measures included the Overwatch Act, the Match Act and the Remote Access Security Act, intended to expand government oversight and restrict chip shipments through Southeast Asia to China.
