WASHINGTON — Scrutiny surrounding former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has intensified following new revelations connecting a former associate to Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, currently a primary competitor to the chipmaker.

According to reports published Thursday by CNBC, private intelligence firm Tesari tracked corporate filings showing historical investment links between Alice Huang—who previously maintained a personal relationship with the former Nvidia executive—and data center operators serving Huawei’s cloud division.

Investigative findings indicate that Alice Huang co-owned Shanghai Hexi, an investment firm established in 2016, which acquired a stake in data center developer Shanghai Century Longteng in 2021. Century Longteng held a majority stake in Shenzhen Yifeng Technology, a firm whose primary client was Huawei Cloud. Furthermore, Century Longteng’s parent company reportedly began purchasing Nvidia semiconductors starting in 2023. While investigators are examining these corporate pathways, public disclosures have not yet confirmed whether the Shenzhen-based data center successfully acquired Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs), nor whether the former Nvidia leader was aware of these commercial connections.

Federal Investigation into Semiconductor Smuggling

Concurrently, the U.S. Department of Justice is probing whether entities linked to Alice Huang participated in illicit efforts to funnel advanced semiconductor servers into China. Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is leading the inquiry, focusing on potential violations involving hardware from server manufacturer Super Micro Computer.

The investigation follows a high-profile March indictment in which federal prosecutors charged three individuals, including Super Micro co-founder Wally Liao, with allegedly diverting servers equipped with Nvidia processors to Southeast Asian front companies before final delivery to Chinese buyers. Although authorities have noted the involvement of unidentified intermediaries, investigators have not formally detailed the specific role, if any, played by Alice Huang or her affiliated entities. Mr. Liao has denied the allegations and departed from Super Micro, which was not named as a defendant in the case.

Beyond supply chain inquiries, federal officials are reportedly reviewing potential intelligence-related activities connected to Alice Huang, alongside her past association with the former Nvidia CEO. Legal representatives have clarified that Jensen Huang is not currently a target of the Justice Department investigation.

Congressional Push for Testimony

Despite Jensen Huang’s recent resignation, lawmakers on Capitol Hill have signaled that national security inquiries will proceed. Representative Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that representatives for the former executive indicated a willingness to cooperate with congressional requests for a closed-door deposition.

Lawmakers—including Rep. Mast, House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman John Moolenaar, and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Representative Rick Crawford—had previously requested Huang's appearance at a joint briefing. Rep. Mast emphasized that the committee remains prepared to issue a subpoena should cooperation lapse, noting that congressional interest extends to other Nvidia personnel whose duties intersected with the former chief executive.

Chairman Moolenaar stressed the necessity of investigating potential vulnerabilities regarding foreign intelligence access and corporate lobbying efforts aimed at U.S. export controls on advanced computing technology. The momentum has similarly carried over to the Senate, where Senate Republican Leader John Thune suggested that additional legislative and oversight measures are likely given the gravity of the national security implications.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]