[Edaily Reporter KIM YOON JI ] Reuters reported on the 13th (local time) that it has been revealed that Jensen Huang, the former CEO of NVIDIA, had been lying to senior company executives about his extramarital affair with Alice Huang, a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy.
According to sources and internal correspondence, when media inquiries about his relationship with Alice Huang arose on two occasions—in the fall of 2025 and in October 2026—former CEO Huang explained to NVIDIA’s management that their interactions were merely a routine business relationship. In particular, it was reported that last month, he provided a similar explanation to Chief Legal Officer Tim Tatter and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Allison Wagenfeld. It remains unclear when their relationship developed into an affair.

According to The New York Times (NYT), former CEO Huang’s denials began last September. At the time, when the NYT inquired about his relationship with Alice Huang, former CEO Huang did not deny knowing her but expressed displeasure at the implication that the two were close. Madison Huang, the former CEO’s daughter who served as his chief of staff, instructed the company’s public relations team to strongly refute any suggestion that the two had more than a purely business relationship, and the crisis management firm Heller also stepped in to handle the situation.
Even last month, 13 months later, former CEO Huang’s position had not changed. When the NYT reported that U.S. intelligence agencies suspected Alice Huang of being a collaborator with Chinese intelligence agencies, NVIDIA once again enlisted Heller to handle the situation. Former CEO Huang reportedly told those around him that this was the first time he had learned the U.S. government had been tracking his relationship with Alice Huang.
Even then, former CEO Hwang maintained that his interactions with Alice Hwang were part of a normal business relationship. However, the situation changed as allegations of an extramarital affair between the two surfaced. Tatter, the chief legal officer who had defended former CEO Hwang up to that point, visited his home in Woodside, California, and former CEO Hwang eventually admitted to the affair.
At the time, former CEO Hwang’s daughter, Madison, was on a flight to South Korea. She had planned to attend an artificial intelligence (AI) event in South Korea and meet with key local figures, but as soon as she arrived in the country, she was informed of the situation and advised to return home.
On the 8th, former CEO Hwang admitted to the extramarital affair with Alice Hwang and apologized. He stated, “I was not faithful to my wife. My actions hurt my wife and children. There is no excuse.” The New York Times reported that, in private, he assured those around him—including Tether—that there were no other extramarital affairs.
Subsequently, former CEO Huang received messages and phone calls of encouragement from acquaintances, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and financier Larry Fink. It was also reported that U.S. President Donald Trump called former CEO Huang on the 10th and advised him to “fight.”
However, on the 11th, the NYT reported allegations that former CEO Huang had also engaged in an extramarital affair with Kimberly Powell, vice president of NVIDIA’s healthcare division. NVIDIA’s board of directors convened an emergency meeting to discuss former CEO Huang’s future, and he stepped down immediately. The NYT pointed out that, from a corporate governance perspective, the most serious mistake a CEO can make is lying—especially during a crisis.