Nvidia board hires Wachtell to probe Huang's MegaSpeed ties
Independent directors brought in attorney Jun H. Kim and his firm to examine whether CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence agency.
Nvidia's board announced on November 10 that its independent directors have hired attorney Jun H. Kim and his firm, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, to conduct an investigation, according to aitimes.com. An independent-director committee is overseeing the probe. The announcement came after disclosure of the Nvidia CEO's relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive of Singapore data-center company MegaSpeed who is suspected of ties to Chinese intelligence.
The investigation will examine whether Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence agency and whether national security or company secrets were leaked. Nvidia has said it has no evidence that national security or company secrets were compromised, while the review will look broadly at related information.
The FBI is separately investigating whether Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence agency, the outlet reported.
Who is leading the review
Jun H. Kim took on the assignment with a background in federal prosecution and state investigations. In 2017, after President Donald Trump fired then-U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, Kim served about 10 months as acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. In 2021, he took part in writing the New York attorney general's report on harassment allegations against then-Governor Andrew Cuomo, which led to Cuomo's resignation.
The board's structure adds weight to the inquiry. Nvidia has no separate chairman, and some independent directors have served alongside Jensen Huang since the 1990s. Huang owns 3.6% of Nvidia, and the company has no clear successor.
Quick answers
Who is investigating Jensen Huang's relationship with Alice Huang?
Nvidia's independent directors hired attorney Jun H. Kim and the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, with an independent-director committee overseeing the investigation.
What will the Nvidia investigation examine?
It will look at whether CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence agency and whether national security or company secrets were leaked.
Is the FBI involved?
The FBI is separately investigating whether Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence agency.