Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s woes evoke sympathy, disbelief in his birthplace Taiwan

TAIPEI – Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang is drawing both sympathy and disbelief in his birthplace Taiwan, where he has rock star status, after dramatic revelations of his affair with a woman who could have been a Chinese spy.Whenever he visits, adoring fans and excited reporters follow, hanging on every word from the most prolific salesman of the artificial intelligence boom, in a trend domestic media call “Jensanity”.Shock at news that both Nvidia’s board and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating to determine if Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence effort is palpable in the small Taipei businesses and restaurants he frequents on trips.“I thought it must be a lie, or fake news,” said Hsiao Kui-yu, whose store selling dried and candied fruit is among Huang’s inevitable stops at Taipei’s Siping market.“We think of him as such a good boss, who takes such good care of people. How could something like this happen? Is it possible? I’m very suspicious,” Hsiao, 68, told Reuters.Hsiao Kui-yu, 68, owner of Yuchan Candied Fruit, stands in front of photographs of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang displayed at the shop, which Huang frequently visits during trips to Taiwan. PHOTO: REUTERSHuang’s barber Ray Wang, whose high-end shop is just around the corner from the luxury hotel where Huang often stays, said the two formed a bond when the chief executive first visited in 2017.“Every day I pray for Mr Huang, hoping he gets through this difficult time,” the 57-year-old added. “I really want to write him a letter of encouragement, but I feel this isn’t a good time, because he’s very busy.”Born in TaiwanBorn in Taiwan’s historic capital of Tainan before migrating to the US as a child, Huang has repeatedly praised its tech companies, including the world’s largest contract chipmaker TSMC, for their role in the AI revolution.The woman suspected of being a spy has previously been pictured with Huang on his visits to Taiwan.Taiwan’s government, ever wary of China in view of Beijing’s contested sovereignty claim over the island, has declined so far to directly address the details of the case, especially the espionage aspect.Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi said he could not comment on either Huang or the woman.“I have no evidence, nor do I have the authority to investigate,” he told reporters at Parliament on Nov 10, when asked if he believed the woman was a spy.Still, it was good that Huang had acknowledged his mistake in having an affair, said academic Liu I-li, as he waited for a table outside a pork knuckle restaurant Huang likes.“We can’t judge a person by just one thing,” the 49-year-old added. “We should look at them more comprehensively. Nobody is without flaws.” REUTERS