Nvidia launches independent investigation into CEO's ties to Alice Huang

Nvidia has appointed former federal prosecutor Joon H. Kim and the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to lead an independent investigation into allegations surrounding CEO Jensen Huang. The probe, initiated on Sunday, aims to determine whether the CEO's connection to Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang involved intelligence gathering or espionage on behalf of Chinese agencies, a case that has drawn significant attention from U.S. government and financial markets.

Alice Huang’s background is linked to Kang Wei, a 51-year-old founder of Hexi Capital, with whom she maintained close personal and professional ties. Kang’s history includes significant regulatory penalties: in 2018, Hexi Capital was fined $2.6 million, and Kang received a $60,000 personal fine for illegal transactions and disclosure violations regarding the acquisition of Huiqui Technology. Furthermore, the firm faced additional sanctions from the China Securities Regulatory Commission last year.

Joon H. Kim, who served as acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York from 2017 to 2018, is tasked with conducting the comprehensive review. The investigation is currently ongoing as the company attempts to address potential security risks and corporate governance concerns regarding its leadership.