Nvidia CEO's Affair With 'Spy' Helped China Buy $7 Billion Chips: Report

It was found that in over two years, Huang, also known as Hunag Le, helped move 240,000 banned chips into China, mostly H100 and H200 systems, and was instrumental in securing AI GPU imports to the tune of $7.5 billion.

11 Nov 2026, 05:27 · NDTV

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Jensen Huang’s ties to Alice Huang aided $7.5B Nvidia chip shipments to China since 2023
Alice Huang’s firm Shanghai Century Litong gained Nvidia preferred cloud partner status in 2023
Alice Huang publicly showcased her close relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang for credibility

How did Kang Wei first meet Nvidia's CEO?
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Nvidia boss Jensen Huang's ties with Megaspeed executive Alice Huang, who is also suspected of being a spy working for the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), helped facilitate the shipment of at least $7.5 billion worth of Nvidia chips through Chinese companies since 2023, according to a report by The Information.

In its investigation, the publication found that Huang, the woman whom the US government reportedly identified as a Chinese intelligence asset, along with her sister and husband, has built a "labyrinth of companies" spanning China and Singapore to acquire Nvidia chips.

Citing sources who know the Megaspeed executive, The Information reported that at the centre of that corporate network is Shanghai Century Litong, a China-based company that was founded in June 2023 and, by October that year, was added to Nvidia's list of preferred cloud partners, a status that comes with priority access to Nvidia's chips.

It was also found that in over two years, Huang, also known as Hunag Le, helped move 240,000 banned chips into China, mostly H100 and H200 systems, and was instrumental in securing AI GPU imports to the tune of $7.5 billion.

Shipping records from trade data provider ImportGenius reviewed by news agency Reuters also show Megaspeed's Indonesian subsidiary imported Nvidia hardware between 2024 and 2026, including H100 processors and related components, in shipments from suppliers including Gigabyte subsidiary Giga Computing.

The H100 is among the advanced Nvidia processors restricted from export to China, although the shipments to Indonesia do not themselves establish any violation of US export controls.

'Alice Huang Exploited Nvidia Ties'

According to the report, Alice Huang's personal relationship with the Nvidia chief gave her the ability to procure chips that were otherwise hard to get elsewhere.

People familiar with Alice Huang told The Information that she boasted about her access to the Nvidia CEO publicly and regularly uploaded photos with Jensen Huang to her WeChat account to establish her credibility. She even reportedly claimed that Jensen Huang would often celebrate her birthday with dinner and gifts.

A Nvidia China sales employee told the publication that she was a familiar face at the company's annual event for local Chinese partners. When AI shipments hit delays or faced some trouble, Alice Huang would reportedly step in to get them moving through the supply chain again.

Another source noted that the Megaspeed executive would often flaunt her close relationship with Nvidia and its suppliers as the reason why she could always get the company's AI chips.

According to estimates, around $4.6 billion worth of AI chips have been imported through Megaspeed from 2023 to 2025, while another $2 billion has been routed through Speedmatrix. It was also reported that Shanghai Century Litong bought GPUs worth around $7.5 billion, while Alice Huang helped move some 240,000 banned chips into China.

Alice Huang's Career Trajectory

Alice Huang, reported by Chinese financial publication Caixin to be about 42 years old, built a career in Chinese finance before emerging in a very different arena: the global race for artificial-intelligence chips. The Chinese businesswoman held senior roles at a Shanghai investment firm before becoming the controlling shareholder of Singapore-based cloud-computing company Megaspeed International, according to more than 30 publicly available financial records, corporate filings and company materials.

Nvidia lists Megaspeed as an official cloud partner on its directory. Megaspeed attracted public attention in October 2025, when The New York Times reported the company was under US investigation over whether it was helping Chinese customers obtain advanced Nvidia chips subject to Washington's export controls.

Alice Huang has since been thrust into the spotlight because of her links with Jensen Huang. The two are not related, and the Nvidia boss has admitted to having an extramarital affair with her.

Alice Huang previously worked in banking and investment management, according to Chinese fund-industry records and an indexed profile on the private-fund database Simuwang, which also listed an earlier career in television journalism. Before her involvement with Megaspeed, she held senior positions at Shanghai Hexi Investment Management, a Chinese investment firm.

Several posts on Hexi's official WeChat account between 2016 and 2017 identified her as the firm's deputy general manager, executive director and a member of its investment decision committee and said she had previously worked at HSBC's private bank in Hong Kong and at CITIC Securities. HSBC and CITIC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A Hexi business card reviewed by Reuters identified Alice Huang as a partner and general manager, with an office in Shanghai's Lujiazui financial district. At the Aurora Plaza address listed on the card, Reuters found offices undergoing extensive renovation, with no Hexi signage or staff present. Calls to a number on the card went unanswered, and an email address could not receive messages.

Alice Huang became Megaspeed's controlling shareholder in March 2023, according to Washington-based research group C4ADS, which reviewed corporate records. Incorporated in Singapore in 2015 as 7Road International, Megaspeed provides cloud-computing services and describes itself on its company website as an Nvidia business partner in the Asia-Pacific region.

Alice Huang also served as a director and managing director of Megaspeed's Indonesian subsidiary from March to November 2023, C4ADS said. Megaspeed did not respond to a request for comment.

Alice Huang was first photographed with Jensen Huang at a party hosted by Taiwanese server manufacturer Gigabyte during the 2024 Computex technology trade show. A photograph posted on LinkedIn showed them seated next to each other. But reports suggest she may have entered the Nvidia boss's circle much earlier than previously believed.

One source told The Information that Alice Huang's husband Kang Wei met Jensen Huang during the 2010s, when Nvidia was primarily a PC gaming GPU manufacturer. According to the report, Wei was a private equity investor focusing on video game companies back then, while Alice Hunag was pursuing a career in journalism.

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