Nvidia Partner Megaspeed Traced to Alice Huang Through Singapore Records

Alice Huang became the controlling shareholder of Megaspeed, a Singapore-based firm that acts as a cloud partner for Nvidia, in March 2023. Corporate registration records show that all shares of the company were transferred to a British Virgin Islands entity named Huang Le Limited at that time. The transfer occurred just before Megaspeed was renamed from 7Road International.

The move placed Huang at the head of a company that has faced scrutiny from Washington for allegedly routing advanced chips to China despite U.S. export restrictions. Megaspeed was originally incorporated in Singapore in 2015 as the overseas arm of a Chinese video game developer. It describes itself on its website as a core business partner for Nvidia in Asia.

Huang, also known as Huang Le, drew national attention last month after The New York Times reported she formed a close relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. The report stated that U.S. officials concluded she was a Chinese spy recruited to influence Nvidia to make its most advanced chips more available in China. The discovery reportedly set off alarms as high as the White House.

Huang’s background includes work as a television reporter in China. Before joining Megaspeed, she held senior positions at Shanghai Hexi Investment Co. from roughly 2015 to 2017. She also worked at HSBC’s Hong Kong private banking arm and at CITIC Securities. Neither bank immediately responded to requests for comment on her employment history.

Kang Wei, the founder of Shanghai Hexi Investment, was fined 400,000 yuan, or about $60,000, by China’s securities regulator in 2018 for financial misconduct. The company itself was fined 17.7 million yuan, roughly $2.7 million. Wei appeared on some records alongside Huang during her tenure there.

Public records indicate Huang stepped down as a director of Megaspeed eight months after becoming the controlling shareholder. Her shares were then transferred to Tan Yong Pong, also known as James Tan, a Singaporean businessman. However, short seller Culper Research suggested she remained involved in the company’s daily operations. One Megaspeed employee told researchers in a May report that Huang was still the boss.

Beijing has disputed the espionage claims. The Foreign Ministry called the allegation unsubstantiated and described it as smears against China. Singapore’s government said it is investigating Megaspeed for possible violations of export controls but stated there are no investigations regarding Huang herself.

Jensen Huang admitted in a letter to Nvidia’s board that he had been unfaithful to his wife, though he did not name the woman involved. His personal fortune is estimated by Forbes at more than $150 billion. The timeline of the affair remains unclear, and the Associated Press was unable to reach Huang for comment.

Megaspeed denied accusations late last year that it was illicitly transferring chips. A statement on its website said there was no evidence of violations or illegal activities. Nvidia continues to list Megaspeed as a partner on its own website.