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root_axis • yesterday at 9:15 PM • 4 replies • view on HN

It is not at all misleading. Huang's conduct as the CEO of arguably the most influential AI firm in the world, having an extra-marital affair with a Chinese spy, is obviously going to be a central part of any investigation into this.


Replies

bluegatty • yesterday at 9:29 PM

Language matters.

"XXX is being investigated" implies there's some kind of possible wrongdoing here.

There might be some of that, but this is not likely the focus of the investigation.

They're investigating a potential influence operation involving the CEO, which may overlap with investigating some kind of culpability on his part.

It's an unfair editorial headline.

- edit -

Here is the literal source:

"" initiating an independent investigation in light of recent reporting that founder and CEO Jensen Huang has been the target of a foreign intelligence effort.""

Jensen is not specifically under investigation, if anything the language is sympathetic to him being the target of a foreign Op.

The US government is investigating Alice Huang (not Jensen) for obvious reasons.

Obviously the 'bar' is different for the CEO than for someone acting with criminal intent, but it's not far to say that Jensen is under investigation.

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oooyay • yesterday at 10:15 PM

I, as a shareholder, do not care if the CEO is having an affair so long as the business is not affected. If you can establish the latter, then his personal conduct is between him and his partner.

What I am extra curious about is why is Alice Huang not being rigorously investigated prior to or alongside all of this? If these allegations are true then what she did amounts to treason and a variety of other things. Failing to register as a foreign agent is another. She, at the very least, should be held by the US the same way we hold other foreign nationals charged with treason.

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nostrademons • yesterday at 9:42 PM

I mean, the last 3 paragraphs of NVidia's statement are:

> While the Board has no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised, the Board's inquiry will examine all available information.

> Jensen fully supports the review and has committed to cooperating with it.

> The Board has confidence in Jensen and his leadership team and will provide further updates as appropriate.

My interpretation of this is simply this is what you do when you are the board of a public company and the U.S. government has accused your CEO of being the target of espionage. You need to get the facts, if only to cover your own asses. If it turns out the accusations are hogwash, then you have facts of your own that you can release to counter whatever hogwash the government puts out. If it turns out your CEO committed a crime or otherwise did something improper, then you need to dismiss the CEO to prevent your complicity in the crime. If it turns out there holes in your security protocols around top executives, you need to plug those holes.

But until you have the facts, coming from an independent investigation, neither they nor us have any clue what the right response is.

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