Who is Alice Huang? US accuses ex-Megaspeed exec linked to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang of spying for China: What we know

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's reportedly close ties to a data-centre industry executive have now become a growing concern for officials in the US, Singapore and Taiwan. The executive is believed to be a Chinese intelligence source, possibly giving Beijing access to information about the world's most valuable artificial intelligence (AI) chips.

According to The Wall Street Journal, in 2025, US officials concluded that Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen and top executive at Megaspeed International, passed information to the Chinese government while working with chipmaker Nvidia to build data centres in Asia. Alice Huang, who also goes by Huang Le, isn't related to Jensen Huang.

According to a 2025 New York Times report, Alice Huang has a scant online profile, but she has spent much of her career in China, which included working as a television reporter for Chinese state media. According to a biography found on the social media of one of her former employers, she also worked as a private banker.

She was also listed as a managing director for Megaspeed for its first eight months before she was removed from that role in its corporate paperwork. Alice has reportedly also described herself as the firm's chief executive.

Citing people familiar with the matter, WSJ reported that authorities in Singapore, where Megaspeed is headquartered, and Taiwan have conducted separate investigations into Alice's China connections and deployed teams to monitor her movements. Officials involved in the investigations suspected that Alice was recruited by intelligence agencies in Beijing after becoming aware of what they considered a close relationship with Nvidia’s chief.

However, Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs clarified on 31 October that neither the government nor its officials had expressed the concerns attributed to them in the WSJ report, and that no such investigations into Alice Huang’s alleged ties to Chinese intelligence had been conducted. It separately confirmed that investigations into Megaspeed were ongoing.

In late 2024, when authorities began surveillance on Alice, she reportedly disappeared into Beijing for a while. Further, it can't be confirmed where she is now or whether she still holds a top executive role at Megaspeed.

WSJ reported that the Chinese Embassy in Washington rejected the allegations, saying that Beijing opposes what it described as the peddling of a "Chinese spy narrative" and adding that the country's technological development is grounded in "independent innovation."

An Nvidia spokesperson said, "We’re confident that if the U.S. government believes that any person is a threat to American industry, it would let us know," and added that CEO Jensen Huang's interactions with Alice "are not unusual or unexpected” given their business ties.

A representative of the Singapore Police Force said investigations into Megaspeed were ongoing and declined to give specifics. “While we do not enforce unilateral export controls imposed by other countries, we act firmly against companies and individuals who violate our laws and are engaged in fraudulent and dishonest practices,” the representative said.

Chipmaker Nvidia's technology is said to be one of the most valued American technology assets, making its CEO a global superstar and helping him establish a close relationship with US President Donald Trump. With Huang's encouragement, Trump has reportedly enacted industry-friendly chip and AI policies, along with approving some sales of previous Nvidia chips to Beijing while negotiating with his counterpart Xi Jinping.

In late 2024, officials from the US Commerce Department started investigating whether the Singapore-based Megaspeed was involved in diverting Nvidia's chips to China, bypassing Washington's export controls meant to protect crucial technologies.

US security experts have raised concerns that companies may be bypassing restrictions on China’s access to advanced chips by setting up data centres in neighbouring countries and offering Chinese businesses remote access to their computing power. Analysts have also criticised the Trump administration for what they see as a reluctance to address these regulatory gaps.

Swati Gandhi is a digital journalist with over four years of experience, specialising in international and geopolitical issues. Her work focuses on foreign policy, global power shifts, and the political and economic forces shaping international relations, with a particular emphasis on how global developments affect India. She approaches journalism with a strong belief in context-driven reporting, aiming to break down complex global events into clear, accessible narratives for a wide readership.<br><br> Previously, Swati has worked at Business Standard, where she covered a range of beats including national affairs, politics, and business. This diverse newsroom experience helped her build a strong grounding in reporting, while also strengthening her ability to work across both breaking news and in-depth explanatory stories. Covering multiple beats early in her career has helped her be informed about her current work, allowing her to connect domestic developments with wider international trends.<br><br> At Live Mint, she focuses on international and geopolitical issues through a business and economic lens, examining how global political developments, foreign policy decisions, and power shifts impact markets, industries, and India’s strategic and economic interests.<br><br> She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Her academic training has shaped her emphasis on precision, analytical rigour, and clarity in writing. Her interests include global political economy and the intersection of geopolitics with business.<br><br> Outside work, Swati focuses on exploring her passion and love for food. From fancy cafes to street spots, Swati explores food like a true foodie.

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