New Affair Allegation Emerges Against Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Amid Chinese Spy Honeytrap Probe

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Faces Fresh Affair Allegation Involving Healthcare VP

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is facing another allegation of an extramarital relationship, with a new report claiming that he was involved with Kimberly Powell, the company’s vice-president of healthcare. The development comes amid an ongoing controversy surrounding his alleged links to a woman identified by US officials as a Chinese intelligence operative.

According to The New York Times, five people familiar with the matter at Nvidia spoke about Huang’s alleged relationship with Powell. Two of them claimed that a video showed the two executives displaying affection at a hotel in San Jose, California, during an Nvidia conference in March. The newspaper clarified that it had not independently viewed the footage.

Huang, 63, and Powell, 48, are both married to other people. The report also said that the alleged relationship had been a topic of discussion among employees at the chipmaker.

When contacted by telephone on Wednesday and asked about Powell, Huang reportedly responded, “I don’t think you should be talking to me directly,” before ending the call.

Nvidia declined to comment, while Powell did not immediately respond to the newspaper’s request for a statement.

Who is Kimberly Powell?

Powell joined Nvidia in 2008 and is responsible for the company’s initiatives involving the use of its chip technology in healthcare and higher education. Her work has a particular focus on medical imaging devices, according to Nvidia’s website.

She graduated from Boston University before attending the MIT Sloan School of Management in 2007.

Her LinkedIn profile indicates that she was promoted to senior director of artificial intelligence business development in 2016. By late 2017, she had taken on the role of vice-president of healthcare. She has also represented Nvidia at technology conferences around the world.

At the company’s annual GTC developer conference in San Jose in March, Powell delivered a presentation on the potential of artificial intelligence in healthcare and biology. The presentation reportedly featured cartoon illustrations of Huang.

The allegations have also drawn attention to Nvidia’s workplace policies. Its code of conduct requires employees to avoid conflicts of interest arising from personal relationships and states that reports of misconduct are investigated promptly. Several companies have policies restricting relationships between managers and employees who report directly to them. Powell reportedly reported to Huang.

Chinese spy controversy adds to pressure on Huang

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and transformed it into one of the world’s leading suppliers of artificial intelligence chips.

His personal relationships came under scrutiny after The New York Times reported last month that US officials had identified Alice Huang, an executive close to him, as an alleged Chinese intelligence asset.

After Huang acknowledged the affair earlier this month, Nvidia’s board commissioned an investigation into the matter. The probe is being led by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.

Meanwhile, Republican leaders of three influential committees in the US House of Representatives have sought a closed-door briefing with Huang regarding his interactions with Alice Huang.

China has rejected the espionage allegations, while Alice Huang has not responded to requests for comment, the newspaper reported.