U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Was Sent Classified Warning on Nvidia CEO’s Affair, Axios Reports

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was sent a highly classified intelligence memo warning about Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s relationship with Alice Huang, a businesswoman suspected by American intelligence officials of working for China, according to Axios. ⠀ The memo, prepared under the supervision of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, drew on surveillance of Alice Huang and an investigation into suspected illegal exports of advanced Nvidia chips involving her former company, Megaspeed. ⠀ The warning circulated before President Donald Trump’s May 13–15 visit to China. Rubio also personally alerted Trump aboard Air Force One before Jensen Huang joined the presidential delegation, according to reporting by The New York Times and CNN. ⠀ The disclosure raises questions about decisions made by Lutnick’s Commerce Department, which oversees restrictions on exports of sensitive American technology. On May 14, the department cleared approximately 10 Chinese companies to purchase Nvidia’s advanced H200 chips, although some export licenses had been approved before the intelligence warning. ⠀ Megaspeed, a Singapore-based computing company associated with Alice Huang, purchased billions of dollars’ worth of Nvidia processors. U.S. authorities have investigated whether the company helped Chinese customers circumvent American export restrictions. ⠀ Jensen Huang acknowledged an extramarital affair in a November 8 message to Nvidia employees and apologized to his family. Nvidia’s board subsequently launched an independent investigation but said it had no reason to believe company secrets or national security information had been compromised. ⠀ Trump said he might have been shown the intelligence memo but did not recall it making a significant impression. The Commerce Department declined to comment. ⠀ China has denied the espionage allegations. Meanwhile, lawmakers from both parties are demanding answers about the administration’s handling of the intelligence warnings and its decisions on advanced chip exports to China.