Jensen Huang, the co-founder who resigned as NVIDIA president, chief executive officer, and board member effective November 12, has agreed to appear before House committees for closed-door testimony.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL) stated that Huang indicated willingness on the evening of November 11, following earlier requests and subpoena threats from committee chairs. Mast told reporters that discussions continue on the exact date, with the expectation that the session would occur before Thanksgiving.
The testimony is to be under oath, transcribed, and video-recorded, though it remains unclear whether any portion will be made public. The participating panels include the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
Mast, Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) , and Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford (R-AR) had on November 12 sent a follow-up letter requesting a closed-door transcribed interview with Huang on December 1 and with NVIDIA General Counsel Tim Teter on December 2. The letter required written confirmation of acceptance by 8 p.m. Eastern Time on November 13, stating that “Failure to cooperate with this request will result in the House Foreign Affairs Committee issuing a subpoena to compel your testimony in a format of the committee’s choosing.”
“As reports continue to come to light regarding Jensen Huang, NVIDIA, and MegaSpeed, there are clear national security concerns that need to be addressed immediately. We need to know the full extent to which our national security has been put at risk,” the committee chairs said in a joint statement.
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Separately, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott sent letters on November 12 requesting that Huang voluntarily testify at a public hearing on December 3. “Recent reports raise serious concerns about our national security and the protection of sensitive U.S. technology. I am requesting that NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testify before the Senate Banking Committee. The American people deserve answers.”
Scott’s letter to Huang similarly stated that if he did not appear voluntarily, “the Committee is prepared to use all tools at our disposal, including subpoenas, to conduct this legitimate and necessary oversight.”
Huang’s resignation followed reports of a relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese national and former executive at the Singapore-based firm Megaspeed, whom U.S. authorities have assessed as a possible intelligence asset for China’s Ministry of State Security. China has denied the allegation.
“I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry,” Huang wrote in a company-wide memo to employees on November 9. He also wrote that he supported the board’s independent investigation into national security concerns raised in the reports.
NVIDIA’s board announced the resignation and named Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO while seeking a permanent successor.
Lawmakers have cited long-standing debates over U.S. export controls on advanced semiconductors, NVIDIA’s sales of certain chips to China, and reports involving Megaspeed as primary points of concern. Mast noted past disagreements with Huang on export controls while describing NVIDIA as “a very important company to the United States of America” and stating that Huang “has some very serious questions to answer.”
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
