Stunning allegations of a spy plot have prompted investigations of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s affair with a purported Chinese government agent.

Over the weekend, Huang admitted to having an extramarital affair, and acknowledged that news reports surrounding the relationship and potential national security concerns led Nvidia's board to investigate. He and his chipmaking company did not name the person he had been intimate with, but The New York Times identified her as business executive and Chinese citizen Alice Huang. The outlet said U.S. intelligence determined she was gathering information for Beijing.

China’s Foreign Ministry has dismissed the spying allegations, saying on Monday they amount to a smear campaign.

Many questions remain unanswered. But the scandal is already bringing turmoil to Nvidia, whose high-end chips have emerged as the leading building blocks for artificial intelligence. Huang himself has become a key face in the AI race, both across the industry and often on U.S. President Donald Trump's side in Washington.

Trump said the FBI also is looking into the affair, but he has otherwise maintained praise for Huang. Meanwhile, Nvidia and its CEO are already facing a lawsuit that accuses the company of misleading investors by failing to fully disclose the relationship.

Here’s what we know.

On Sunday, Nvidia announced that its board was initiating an independent investigation. The California-based company cited recent reporting about Huang being “the target of a foreign intelligence effort.”

Nvidia’s board said it had “no reason to believe” that either national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised, but that its inquiry would examine all available information. The company added that Huang would remain CEO — and that he had committed to cooperating fully during the investigation.

Nvidia hasn't shared notable updates since. Over the weekend, company spokesperson John Rizzo said that the news “will not slow Nvidia.”

In a separate email to Nvidia employees, later also published by the company, Huang apologized for his affair.

“I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children,” Huang wrote Sunday, adding that he was “deeply sorry” and that his colleagues also “deserve better” from him.

Huang also reiterated his support for the board's investigation. “I love our country and our company. I am committed to protecting NVIDIA and supporting America’s national security,” he said.

Huang, 63, co-founded Nvidia alongside Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem more than three decades ago. He and his wife, Lori, reportedly have two children who both now work at the company.

It remains unclear how long Huang's affair lasted, and when exactly the relationship might have ended.

The New York Times said Alice Huang, who also goes by the name Huang Le, was a former executive of a Singapore-based data center company called Megaspeed International, which prominently touts a partnership with Nvidia on its website. Megaspeed faced claims it was illicitly shipping advanced Nvidia computer chips into China last year, but the company in December maintained there was “no evidence.”

Last month, the Times reported that U.S. intelligence agencies discovered Nvidia's Huang had developed a close relationship with Alice Huang — and determined she was feeding information directly to Beijing.

Trump was reportedly briefed about intelligence findings involving Huang well before the scandal erupted publicly. But when asked Sunday whether he wished he had acted sooner on that information, the president said “I don't think so” and said that Nvidia's CEO was an “honorable guy.”

China has denied that it engaged in an attempt to ensnare Nvidia’s CEO.

“The so-called Chinese spy allegation is unsubstantiated. It is nothing but smears against China,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during a routine briefing Monday.

Beyond rising to fame in the AI space (often accompanied by his signature leather jacket), Huang has maintained a close relationship with Trump throughout the Republican president's second term in office. He’s among tech CEOs who have dined at the White House, and even traveled on Air Force One.

Trump has called Huang “smart” and “amazing,” repeatedly insisting he accompany him on foreign trips. After news of Nvidia's investigation broke, he continued to praise the CEO.

In a White House briefing held Monday, the president disclosed that the FBI was “looking into it” but that he thought Huang would “be in good shape.” Trump added that he since spoke with Huang, and that the CEO said “he had absolutely no idea that the person in question was a spy.”

Nvidia is one of the world's most valuable companies. And it's become a leader for making chips that power AI.

Huang has lobbied Washington to loosen limits on sales of Nvidia chips to China in recent years, winning Trump’s approval for selling its H200 chips in January. Nvidia has said in regulatory filings that it has sold only a small amount to China, as such sales are also restricted by the Chinese government.

The investigation into whether Huang was a target of foreign intelligence is still ongoing, but some analysts suspect that the allegations will strengthen calls for stricter export controls with China.

“The high-profile nature of these allegations could make it increasingly difficult for Washington to avoid a response,” analysts at Raymond James wrote in a Sunday note.

They said the espionage reports will likely bolster congressional support for legislation aimed at further restricting semiconductor and chipmaking equipment sales to China, which could in turn renew strain over trade between the two countries overall.

Huang, meanwhile, is a singular figure in the technology landscape. While he remains in the top spot at Nvidia, other analysts stress that reputational consequences could pile up — and no clear successor is in sight.