PHOTO: AFP
Trump calls Nvidia’s Jensen Huang ‘fine’, says he has not discussed allegations with him
· The Straits Times- Donald Trump called Nvidia chief Jensen Huang a “fine person” and said he should stay as CEO, despite reports about an alleged affair with a suspected Chinese spy.
- Trump said he had not spoken to Huang about the claims and had not heard he “has done anything wrong”, while praising his work for the country.
- Nvidia’s board will investigate whether Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence agency, after US intelligence and media reports raised national security concerns.
WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump called Jensen Huang a “fine person” and said he should stay on as the chief executive officer of Nvidia after Huang admitted to having an affair with a suspected Chinese spy.
“I have not spoken to him about it,” Trump told reporters on Nov 8 before returning to Washington. “I just know he’s a fine person, but you never know what is going on.”
“I think he’s an honourable guy,” Trump said, adding that Huang had “done an amazing job for our country”.
Asked whether he should stay on, Trump said: “I think so. Oh yeah, sure.”
Nvidia said its board would begin an investigation into whether Huang was a target of a foreign intelligence agency.
Asked if he plans to take Huang on his trip to Asia later in November, Trump said that he does not know, but would take him along.
“I haven’t heard he’s done anything wrong,” Trump said.
US intelligence officials had told the Trump administration earlier that a woman who had become close to Huang was working for a Chinese spy agency, which recruited her to collect information on him, the New York Times reported on Nov 6.
On Nov 8, the newspaper reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had overseen the production of a secret memo on US concerns. BLOOMBERG, REUTERS