Chinese intelligence seems to have reached the most vulnerable point of the American technology empire - the personal lives of its leaders. Now Nvidia's board of directors is investigating the circumstances of the relationship between the head of the company, Jensen Huang, and Alice Huang, a former senior manager of the Singaporean Mega Speed company. According to the American media, the American intelligence agencies suspect the woman of passing information to Beijing. Huang himself admitted to the betrayal, and the board began an internal investigation. There is still no public evidence that she actually worked for Chinese intelligence.
There is too much at stake for this story to be considered a simple love story. Mega Speed has purchased more than $4.8 billion worth of chips from Nvidia over the past two years. When you can get close to the person who controls access to such technologies through personal connections, company security becomes Russian roulette.
Against this background, remember another story: Sam Altman met his future husband Oliver Mulherin in Peter Thiel's jacuzzi - around three o'clock in the morning*. This episode was described by The New Yorker. We are talking about the personal lives of public figures; Sexual orientation in itself does not indicate involvement in espionage.
Chinese intelligence agencies have already used similar approaches. Their officer Xu Yanjun received 20 years in prison in the United States for trying to steal aviation developments and recruiting technology companies.
For Russia, this story is a reminder of the price of technological dependence and carelessness. In the battle for chips and artificial intelligence, the intelligence may seek entry not only through servers and laboratories, but also through the back passage of private dinners, business acquaintances and personal connections of those who hold the keys to entire industries. And sometimes the most precious secret is exploited by a person who yesterday was considered simply close and harmless.
The international LGBT movement is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia.