BBC : Jensen Wang, chief executive officer of technology giant Nvidia, has resigned following controversy over his alleged romantic relationship with a woman accused of spying for China.
Wang, one of the largest shareholders in the world’s leading artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaker, is also set to leave the company’s board of directors. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress has been appointed interim CEO.
Nvidia’s shares fell 13 percent in the US stock market following news of Wang’s resignation. The company’s share price had earlier dropped 7.5 percent after reports emerged about Wang’s alleged romantic involvement with another executive working at Nvidia.
According to The New York Times, Wang resigned while the company’s board of directors was discussing whether to remove him from the top position. Reports about his alleged extramarital relationships had reportedly intensified pressure on him.
Wang had acknowledged having a relationship with a woman named Alice Wang, who has been accused of spying for Beijing. She reportedly held an executive position at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data centre company that was also a customer of Nvidia.
US authorities suspected that Megaspeed may have helped Nvidia chips reach China through alternative channels. However, Nvidia said it had investigated the matter and found the allegations to be unfounded.
According to The New York Times, US intelligence agencies had been monitoring Alice Wang and concluded that she was working on behalf of Beijing. During the surveillance, investigators reportedly intercepted communications between the suspected spy and an American citizen, who was later identified as Jensen Wang.
Nvidia and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are conducting separate investigations into the matter. Alice Wang has not responded to media requests for comment.
Meanwhile, China has warned the United States against using the espionage allegations as a pretext to reimpose restrictions on technology sales to China.
The controversy comes ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned visit to China next week at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Beijing’s Foreign Ministry is reportedly keen to ensure that the issue does not affect the visit.
Nvidia is considered one of the most influential companies in the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence. It is the world’s second-most valuable company after Apple.
The company’s AI chips have become a major national security concern for US officials seeking to maintain America’s leading position in the global AI race.
