In a written memo to employees on Sunday, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said he had been unfaithful to his wife. He sent it after news reports tied him to Alice Huang, an AI executive the reports describe as a suspected Chinese spy.
On the same day, Nvidia’s Board of Directors said it was investigating Huang’s relationship with Alice Huang. They have the same surname, and the source material doesn’t say whether they’re related.
What the board is investigating
The investigation is about the national security concerns that news reports raised over the relationship. Huang wrote that the board has “initiated an independent investigation” and said he will “cooperate fully.”
Alice Huang isn’t named anywhere in the memo, and Huang doesn’t respond to the spy allegations head-on. His only reference to them is the phrase “the national security concerns raised in news reports.” Most of the memo is an apology, first to his family and then to employees, the board, partners and shareholders.
The memo in full
This is the complete text Nvidia employees received:
To my colleagues at NVIDIA,
I owe my family and all of you an apology.
I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.
Throughout my life, my family has given me love and support. They deserve my honesty and loyalty. Instead, I let them down and damaged the life we built together. I take full responsibility for what I did and the hurt I caused, and I accept the criticism that comes with it.
To my wife and family: I love you. I know an apology cannot undo what I have done. I hope our family will heal and that, over time, I can earn back your trust.
To my colleagues at NVIDIA, including those I have worked alongside for decades, and to our board, partners, and shareholders around the world: you deserve better from me. Leading NVIDIA is the privilege of my life. My responsibility is to serve you and be worthy of your trust. I have fallen short of that responsibility. I am fully committed to NVIDIA and will work to earn back your confidence.
Regarding the national security concerns raised in news reports, NVIDIA’s Board of Directors has initiated an independent investigation. I support the investigation and will cooperate fully. I love our country and our company. I am committed to protecting NVIDIA and supporting America’s national security. I am proud and grateful to be an American.
My family bears no responsibility for my choices. I do. Please give them privacy.
The memo was signed “Jensen.”
What the memo leaves out
Huang wrote that he is “fully committed to NVIDIA” and will “work to earn back your confidence,” which suggests he intends to stay in the job while the investigation goes on. The memo has no timeline for the investigation. It doesn’t say who is running it, or whether the findings will be released publicly.
He ends by asking for privacy for his family, who he said “bears no responsibility for my choices.”