Huang defends Nvidia’s dealings with Megaspeed amid reported U.S. spy inquiry

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang defended the chipmaker’s business with Singapore-based Megaspeed International, describing the relationship as “normal and not unusual,” Bloomberg News reported, according to Reuters. The comments came after a New York Times report said a former Megaspeed executive was under investigation by U.S. authorities for allegedly spying on behalf of China.

Huang says Nvidia checked its GPU deployments

Huang said Nvidia’s relationship with Megaspeed officials was proper and that the company had checked whether the customer had illegally diverted Nvidia artificial-intelligence chips to China, Bloomberg reported. “We’ve studied all their deployments of our GPUs and counted every one,” Huang said in an interview with Bloomberg cited by Reuters.

The Reuters account attributes the investigation and allegations to the New York Times report. The claims concern alleged conduct by a former Megaspeed executive and do not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing by Nvidia or Megaspeed.

Former executive is focus of reported inquiry

According to the New York Times report summarized by Reuters, U.S. authorities were investigating the former executive for allegedly providing information to the Chinese government and helping evade U.S. restrictions on chip exports. Huang said the executive was no longer with Megaspeed and that his own interactions with the person were typical of those Nvidia has with Chinese customers and executives.

Export controls remain part of the dispute

Nvidia has argued that smuggling its advanced AI chips into China is not a significant issue despite U.S. export restrictions, Reuters reported. The reported inquiry is separate from any finding of wrongdoing.

Sources

• Reuters report — Huang’s comments attributed to Bloomberg and the reported inquiry attributed to the New York Times.
• Syndicated Reuters copy at Investing.com — reproduction of the same reporting, not independent corroboration.