Jensen Huang going through ‘extremely difficult time’: Trump
Photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump has said Nvidia Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang is going through an “extremely difficult time” following reports of an alleged extramarital affair.
The 63-year-old Huang has stepped down as president and CEO of technology company Nvidia. The company’s market value reportedly plunged by several hundred billion dollars after allegations emerged that the woman involved in the relationship was working for China.
Speaking on the “Straight Shooter with Stephen A” podcast on Thursday, Trump described Huang’s resignation as “sad.” He said the former CEO was suffering most because of the pain caused to his family.
Trump said, “I have always thought of him as a good person. I spoke with him yesterday. He is going through an extremely difficult time. What hurts him most is the fact that he has caused pain to his wife and family.”
Huang has been accused of having an extramarital relationship with a woman named Alice Huang. They are not related. Alice is a former executive of Singapore-based company Megaspeed.
In October, several sources told The New York Times that Alice had been helping China circumvent US restrictions on access to advanced technologies, including sophisticated chips manufactured by Nvidia.
Nvidia currently holds a key position in the artificial intelligence (AI) technology race. The company’s graphics processing units (GPUs) can perform thousands of calculations simultaneously. This capability is crucial for AI technology.
Trump spoke highly of Nvidia’s technology during Thursday’s podcast.
He said, “He has a chip that is so complex and so extraordinary that nobody can copy it. In other words, it is beyond copying because of the level of their intelligence. What he has done is incredible. He has built an extraordinary company. Nvidia is truly incredible.”
The United States has long been trying to restrict China’s access to AI chip technology. To achieve this, Washington has imposed export controls on Nvidia and also required the company to give the US government a share of its sales revenue.
During the podcast with Stephen A Smith, Trump was asked whether Huang should have resigned in light of the allegations.
In response, he said, “The real question is whether the woman was a spy. I don’t know whether that has been determined yet.
“If the woman was a spy, then yes. If she was not a spy, the situation might have been different.”
According to an October report by The New York Times, Trump had been informed in advance about the information and investigation findings concerning Alice Huang.
In May, Jensen Huang accompanied Trump and several technology industry executives on a visit to China as part of a state visit.
Speaking to reporters on November 9, Trump denied knowing about intelligence warnings concerning Huang during the state visit.
He said, “No, I did not hear anything about it at the time. But many people heard about it.” He also indicated that even if he had been briefed about the situation earlier, it had not particularly affected him.
During the same interaction with reporters, Trump also said he had directly asked Huang whether Alice was a spy.
Trump said, “I asked him, ‘Did you have any idea that the woman was a spy?’ He said, ‘I did not know that the woman was a spy.’ And I really believe him.”
Senator Tim Scott has called on Huang to voluntarily testify before the Senate Banking Committee on December 3. He warned that a subpoena could be issued to compel Huang to appear if he failed to do so.
Additionally, three committees of the House of Representatives have summoned him to testify in closed-door meetings.
Source: The Independent
