On Nov 9 Beijing time, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang sent an apology letter to company employees, admitting infidelity to his wife and publicly apologizing to his family, employees, the board and shareholders. The letter also confirmed that, amid national security concerns raised by recent news reports, the Nvidia board has launched an independent investigation, which he supports and will fully cooperate with.

The Verge reported that the Nvidia board announced the independent investigation. Bloomberg said the probe concerns whether Huang was a target of espionage. The matter directly hits governance expectations at the world's leading AI chip company, and markets are watching Nvidia's share price after the U.S. market opens on Monday.

Key points of the apology letter

In the letter, Huang said his actions hurt his wife and children, that there is "no excuse," and that he is willing to take full responsibility and accept criticism. He apologized separately to his family, colleagues, the board, partners and shareholders, saying "you deserved a better me."

I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.

Huang stressed that he remains fully committed to his work at Nvidia and will work to regain the trust of employees, the board and shareholders. He said his family should not bear any responsibility for his choices and asked the public to respect their privacy.

Espionage probe and responses

In the letter, Huang referenced "national security concerns raised by recent news reports" and stated: "I love our country, and I love our company. I am committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting U.S. national security." According to a previous New York Times report, Nvidia spokesman John Rizzo said the company does not share classified information with customers, and customers do not ask Nvidia to lobby the U.S. government to change its chip sales policy toward China. Rizzo also said Huang's interactions with a woman surnamed Huang were "not unusual" and consistent with the nature of Huang's meetings with many Nvidia customers.

The New York Times reported that the woman had not responded to multiple requests for comment in recent days, and said the paper has a photo of Huang with the woman at a party in Taipei in 2024. Chinese Embassy in the U.S. spokesman Liu Chang responded that the New York Times report "has no basis" and is "simply a smear against China."

In commentary, Daring Fireball questioned the Nvidia spokesman's account, saying the description of the interactions as "not unusual" conflicts with Huang's admission of infidelity. As of publication, Nvidia had not provided further details on the investigation's specific scope or timeline.

What to watch

  • Progress, scope and conclusions of the Nvidia board's independent investigation, and whether it involves corporate governance and national security review
  • Huang's stated commitment to remain in his role and the repair of trust with the board and shareholders
  • Short- and medium-term impact on Nvidia's share price and expectations across the global AI chip supply chain
  • Whether the dispute between the New York Times report and China's response escalates further