With Nvidia opening an probe into claims that CEO Jensen Huang was a "target of a foreign intelligence effort", a Singapore-based cloud computing firm MegaSpeed has come under scanner of chip deals.
This comes after Huang acknowledged to the Nvidia board that he had been intimate with MegaSpeed executive and Chinese citizen Alice Huang and that he had been unfaithful to his wife.
"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," he said.
US intelligence officials alleged that Alice is a Chinese intelligence asset, as per a New York Times report. She allegedly has ties to China's Ministry of State Security.
MegaSpeed has been one of Nvidia's major customers in Southeast Asia, purchasing more than $4.8 billion worth of Nvidia chips over the past two years, according to the NYT.
The company is facing probes regarding whether the Nvidia chips acquired by it were improperly diverted to China to bypass US export controls.
Who is the owner of MegaSpeed?
MegaSpeed is owned by Singaporean national Tan Yong Pong alias James Tan through his company Swiftdata. MegaSpeed was originally spun off from Chinese gaming and cloud firm 7Road Holdings Ltd with links to state-backed investors. Later 7Road sold MegaSpeed to Alice Huang's company based in British Virgin Islands.
Alice Huang was previously a television reporter in China before becoming a top executive at MegaSpeed. In November 2023, the company was sold to Tan Yong Pong's Singapore shell company Swiftdata. The company is now under a widening investigation in Singapore and the US.
While saying it has "no reason to believe" that either national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised, Nvidia's board said its investigation would examine all available information.
"Today's news will not slow Nvidia," company spokesperson John Rizzo stated. "Jensen is committed to continuing to lead Nvidia as CEO without interruption."
