News that Jensen Huang, the co-founder of Nvidia, was having an affair with a woman believed to be Chinese spy has sent shock waves through the tech world, the U.S. government and the wider economy.
Mr. Huang served as Nvidia’s chief executive from 1993, when he co-founded the company, until his resignation on Thursday. He rocketed to prominence during the A.I. boom as Nvidia’s advanced chips became a crucial technology, making it one of the world’s most valuable companies. Mr. Huang, 63, has close ties to President Trump and has frequently appeared alongside him.
Here’s how the events unfolded.
2023: A Chinese executive named Alice Huang sets up a data firm in Singapore called Megaspeed. The company, which originally had Chinese owners, would soon buy billions of dollars’ worth of Nvidia’s artificial intelligence chips. In May 2023, Nvidia reaches $1 trillion in value.
December 2023: While it’s not clear when Mr. Huang, who is married, met Ms. Huang, they were acquainted by December 2023, when they had dinner with colleagues at a restaurant in Singapore. In June 2024, they were seen socializing at an event in Taipei.
June 2024 to June 2025: A Megaspeed subsidiary receives more than 200 shipments of Nvidia A.I. equipment.
July 2025: Nvidia becomes the first public company ever to be worth $4 trillion.
September 2025: The U.S. government, through the Commerce Department, begins an investigation into Megaspeed, examining whether some of the Nvidia chips it bought were sent to China, a possible violation of U.S. export controls.
Early 2025: Weeks after Mr. Trump begins his second term, Mr. Huang visits the White House to meet with him for the first time.
March 2025: Ms. Huang visits Nvidia’s headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif.
April 2025: During a dinner for donors at Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Huang makes a case to Mr. Trump for allowing chip companies like Nvidia to do business with China. The same month, the White House shuts down Nvidia’s sales to China, strengthening Biden-era regulations that put limits on the sale of A.I. technology.
May 2025: Ms. Huang and Mr. Huang dine with others in Taipei. They pose for a photo together, and she kisses him on the cheek.
July 2025: The Trump administration reverses course and assures Nvidia that it will be granted a license to sell certain chips to China.
October 2025: U.S. intelligence officials tell Mr. Trump that Mr. Huang has a relationship with Ms. Huang, who they describe as a Chinese intelligence asset. Mr. Trump chooses not to take any action.
December 2025: Mr. Trump approves the sale of more powerful Nvidia chips to China.
May 2026: Secretary of State Marco Rubio warns U.S. officials that Mr. Huang is in a close relationship with a Chinese spy. The same month, Mr. Trump invites Mr. Huang to join him on a state visit to Beijing.
October 2026: Mr. Huang’s affair with Ms. Huang is reported in The New York Times.
November 2026: After Mr. Huang admits the affair, Nvidia’s board says it will conduct an investigation. The New York Times later reports that Mr. Huang also had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of health care, who reports to him.
On Nov. 12, Nvidia’s board of directors announces that Mr. Huang has resigned.
