Jensen Huang, who quit as Nvidia CEO, to testify before Congress: US lawmaker

Jensen Huang, who resigned as Nvidia CEO in the wake of reports extramarital affairs including with an alleged Chinese spy rocked his company, has agreed to testify before the US Congress ahead of Thanksgiving, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast said on Thursday. One of the relationships involved Alice Huang, a businesswoman and former executive at Singapore-based cloud company Megaspeed, who US authorities have reportedly identified as a Chinese intelligence asset.Mast, a Republican from Florida, told reporters that Huang had agreed to appear before lawmakers and that discussions were under way to settle the date. The hearing is expected to be conducted under oath and recorded as part of a congressional inquiry involving several committees."He has agreed to come," Mast said. "We're in negotiations for which day."The development comes just days after Mast and two other senior House Republicans sought a closed-door briefing from Huang over his reported interactions with Alice Huang. The lawmakers had originally requested a November 18 appearance and warned that a subpoena could follow if Huang did not agree. EX-NVIDIA BOSS TO FACE QUESTIONS ON CAPITOL HILLThe congressional appearance was already becoming a possibility before Huang resigned as Nvidia's CEO. Mast said lawmakers were prepared to compel Huang to appear if necessary. He had previously indicated that a subpoena could be used if Huang declined to cooperate.That pressure has now eased with Huang agreeing to testify, although the scope of the questioning could be considerably wider than the original request. Lawmakers are expected to examine what Huang knew about Alice Huang, his interactions with her and whether those contacts created any risk to US national security or Nvidia's sensitive technology. They are also likely to examine Nvidia's safeguards against foreign intelligence operations and the company's dealings with customers and partners linked to China. The concerns are particularly sensitive because Nvidia sits at the centre of the US-China race over advanced artificial intelligence chips.The congressional inquiry comes as Nvidia deals with the departure of the man who turned the company into one of the most powerful forces in the global AI industry. Nvidia announced that Huang had resigned as president, CEO and board member with immediate effect. The company appointed longtime chief financial officer Colette Kress as interim CEO while it searches for a permanent successor. The board said it would consider both internal and external candidates.Huang's resignation followed reports of two alleged extramarital relationships. One involved Alice Huang, while another report concerned an Nvidia executive. The Alice Huang relationship has attracted particular attention because of separate US allegations concerning her alleged links to Chinese intelligence.Nvidia's shares initially fell sharply after the announcement of Huang's resignation, before recovering some ground. The market reaction reflected not only the shock of losing the company's longtime leader but also uncertainty over what his departure could mean for Nvidia's position at the heart of the AI boom.WHY WASHINGTON IS WATCHING NVIDIA SAGAThe controversy has also created a political headache for the Trump administration.President Donald Trump has repeatedly backed Huang, even as lawmakers raised concerns about Nvidia's business dealings involving China. Democrats in Congress have accused the administration of being too accommodating towards the chipmaker and have questioned whether efforts to allow Nvidia to sell advanced H200 chips to China went too far.At the centre of that debate is Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who has reportedly faced internal disagreements over US export controls. The administration has also come under pressure to explain what officials knew about the alleged Chinese intelligence concerns surrounding Huang and when they knew it.Those questions could become particularly uncomfortable if Huang's congressional testimony touches on his communications with the administration or his efforts to secure access to the Chinese market. A separate Senate letter sent on Wednesday also called on the White House and federal agencies to preserve records related to Nvidia's advanced chip exports to China and reports that Huang may have been targeted by a suspected Chinese intelligence operation.The White House has defended Lutnick and said Trump retains confidence in him. But Huang's testimony could bring fresh scrutiny to how the administration handled Nvidia, China and the broader battle over advanced AI technology.- Ends