Jensen Huang's Daughter Abruptly Cancels Korea Trip as Nvidia CEO Faces Congress Over China Spy Report

SEOUL, South Korea — Madison Huang, the eldest daughter of Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang and a senior executive at the chipmaker, abruptly cancelled a planned visit to South Korea a day before she was due to arrive, according to South Korean broadcaster SBS.

The cancellation comes as her father faces growing scrutiny in Washington over media reports that U.S. intelligence believes a businesswoman with whom he had a close relationship was working for Chinese intelligence. Nvidia has denied any wrongdoing.

Trip called off

Madison Huang, who serves as a senior marketing director at Nvidia, had been scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Sunday for a three-day itinerary, SBS reported. She cancelled the plans on Saturday afternoon.

Nvidia reportedly asked for the South Korean government's understanding, citing "personal family matters," according to the broadcaster.

SBS said the decision was widely interpreted as being linked to the controversy surrounding her father, though no official explanation beyond family matters was given. Nvidia has not publicly commented on the trip.

Madison Huang has been a familiar presence during her father's visits to South Korea, the broadcaster noted, accompanying him at meetings with business leaders and government officials as Nvidia has deepened ties with the country's chipmakers and political leaders.

The allegations

The controversy began with a report in The New York Times. The newspaper reported that U.S. intelligence found Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen determined to be funneling information to Beijing, had "developed a close relationship" with Jensen Huang. Alice Huang is reportedly not related to the Nvidia CEO.

She is an executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data center company that, according to the Times, has bought billions of dollars' worth of Nvidia's chips. Megaspeed has been accused by the Commerce Department since 2024 of smuggling $2 billion worth of advanced chips to China, according to Tom's Hardware.

Other outlets have added to the reporting. The Wall Street Journal reported that officials in at least three countries suspected Alice Huang of passing information to the Chinese government, potentially including sensitive details about Nvidia's advanced chips.

The New York Times and Financial Times later reported that Alice Huang was a Chinese spy recruited by top intelligence officials specifically to target Jensen Huang, and the FT reported that the two had a romantic relationship.

The U.S. intelligence community believes Alice Huang was recruited by China's Ministry of State Security, according to people familiar with a memo on the matter. Alice Huang could not be reached for comment.

The Times also reported that President Donald Trump received an intelligence briefing about the relationship and the allegations but chose not to take action.

Nvidia and China deny wrongdoing

Nvidia has repeatedly and firmly denied that Jensen Huang's relationship with Alice Huang was anything but a typical business contact, and insisted no sensitive information would have been shared with her or anyone else.

The company said "Meetings with customers are part of a CEO's job," adding that Huang speaks with thousands of customer executives every year.

The Chinese government publicly denied engaging with Alice Huang to spy on Jensen Huang, and Chinese embassy spokesman Liu Chang called the reporting "unsubstantiated."

Congress demands answers

The reports have prompted action on Capitol Hill. Reps. Brian Mast of Florida, John Moolenaar of Michigan and Rick Crawford of Arkansas sent Huang a letter demanding a closed-door congressional briefing. Mast chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Moolenaar leads the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Crawford heads the House Intelligence Committee.

The lawmakers said they need to determine "the extent to which U.S. national security" may have been affected, and asked about Nvidia's controls over sensitive information. SBS reported that Huang has been asked to state by Nov. 11 whether he will testify.

Democrats have also weighed in. Sen. Chris Coons pledged that "Congress will investigate and get answers."

Instead of agreeing to a briefing, Nvidia provided a statement that largely mirrored the one it previously sent the Times.

Fallout in South Korea

South Korea is a key partner for Nvidia, home to memory chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which supply high-bandwidth memory for its AI accelerators. Madison Huang's cancelled visit is the most visible sign in the region of how the controversy is affecting the company's business relationships.

SBS described the episode as an example of the escalating intelligence rivalry between the United States and China spilling over into South Korea.

What's next

The key question is whether Jensen Huang will agree to brief lawmakers, and whether the reports lead to formal investigations. Nvidia, the world's most valuable chipmaker, is also preparing to report quarterly earnings on Nov. 17, when investors may press the company for more details.

None of the allegations have been proven, and no charges have been filed against Jensen Huang, Alice Huang or Nvidia.