Jensen Huang, pre-scandal, told Fortune Nvidia “could be of great service” to China

A month ago, Jensen Huang was telling me how Nvidia could serve China. Today, his board is investigating whether or not China got something it shouldn't have. I spoke with Huang in mid-October, weeks before reports emerged that US officials suspected a woman he was involved with was a Chinese spy. That woman was Alex Huang. In our interview, Huang said that he thought the chipmaker could be of great service to China. He also said Nvidia had a large and growing opportunity in the Chinese market. When I asked whether or not he expected sales in China to pick up, he said there would be a natural tension between Washington and Beijing that lasts a long time. He also said he would continue prioritizing getting his chips to American companies first. After reports of the affair emerged, Huang circulated a memo to staff saying he'd been unfaithful and apologized to his wife. He wrote that his colleagues and shareholders deserved better from him. The following day, when markets opened, the chipmaker's shares fell sharply. A company spokesperson told Fortune the news will not slow NVIDIA. They added Jensen is committed to continuing to lead NVIDIA as CEO without interruption. Still, some are speculating on whether or not Huang will survive the scandal. The incident is being investigated by the FBI, and the prediction sites are already taking bets on his resignation. For more on what's next with NVIDIA, you can check out my full article on fortune.com.